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Psalms 74–77 Psalms 74–77 (Listen) Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause A Maskil1 of Asaph. 74   O God, why do you cast us off forever?     Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2   Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,     which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!     Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. 3   Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;     the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! 4   Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;     they set up their own signs for signs. 5   They were like those who swing axes     in a forest of trees.2 6   And all its carved wood     they broke down with hatchets and hammers. 7   They set your sanctuary on fire;     they profaned the dwelling place of your name,     bringing it down to the ground. 8   They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;     they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9   We do not see our signs;     there is no longer any prophet,     and there is none among us who knows how long. 10   How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?     Is the enemy to revile your name forever? 11   Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?     Take it from the fold of your garment3 and destroy them! 12   Yet God my King is from of old,     working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13   You divided the sea by your might;     you broke the heads of the sea monsters4 on the waters. 14   You crushed the heads of Leviathan;     you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 15   You split open springs and brooks;     you dried up ever-flowing streams. 16   Yours is the day, yours also the night;     you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. 17   You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;     you have made summer and winter. 18   Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs,     and a foolish people reviles your name. 19   Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;     do not forget the life of your poor forever. 20   Have regard for the covenant,     for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21   Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;     let the poor and needy praise your name. 22   Arise, O God, defend your cause;     remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! 23   Do not forget the clamor of your foes,     the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually! God Will Judge with Equity To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 75   We give thanks to you, O God;     we give thanks, for your name is near.   We5 recount your wondrous deeds. 2   “At the set time that I appoint     I will judge with equity. 3   When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,     it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4   I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’     and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5   do not lift up your horn on high,     or speak with haughty neck.’” 6   For not from the east or from the west     and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7   but it is God who executes judgment,     putting down one and lifting up another. 8   For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup     with foaming wine, well mixed,   and he pours out from it,     and all the wicked of the earth     shall drain it down to the dregs. 9   But I will declare it forever;     I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10   All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,     but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Who Can Stand Before You? To the choirmaster: with stringe

Psalms 70–73 Psalms 70–73 (Listen) O Lord, Do Not Delay To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering. 70   Make haste, O God, to deliver me!     O LORD, make haste to help me! 2   Let them be put to shame and confusion     who seek my life!   Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor     who delight in my hurt! 3   Let them turn back because of their shame     who say, “Aha, Aha!” 4   May all who seek you     rejoice and be glad in you!   May those who love your salvation     say evermore, “God is great!” 5   But I am poor and needy;     hasten to me, O God!   You are my help and my deliverer;     O LORD, do not delay! Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent 71   In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;     let me never be put to shame! 2   In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;     incline your ear to me, and save me! 3   Be to me a rock of refuge,     to which I may continually come;   you have given the command to save me,     for you are my rock and my fortress. 4   Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,     from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. 5   For you, O Lord, are my hope,     my trust, O LORD, from my youth. 6   Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;     you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.   My praise is continually of you. 7   I have been as a portent to many,     but you are my strong refuge. 8   My mouth is filled with your praise,     and with your glory all the day. 9   Do not cast me off in the time of old age;     forsake me not when my strength is spent. 10   For my enemies speak concerning me;     those who watch for my life consult together 11   and say, “God has forsaken him;     pursue and seize him,     for there is none to deliver him.” 12   O God, be not far from me;     O my God, make haste to help me! 13   May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;     with scorn and disgrace may they be covered     who seek my hurt. 14   But I will hope continually     and will praise you yet more and more. 15   My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,     of your deeds of salvation all the day,     for their number is past my knowledge. 16   With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;     I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. 17   O God, from my youth you have taught me,     and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18   So even to old age and gray hairs,     O God, do not forsake me,   until I proclaim your might to another generation,     your power to all those to come. 19   Your righteousness, O God,     reaches the high heavens.   You who have done great things,     O God, who is like you? 20   You who have made me see many troubles and calamities     will revive me again;   from the depths of the earth     you will bring me up again. 21   You will increase my greatness     and comfort me again. 22   I will also praise you with the harp     for your faithfulness, O my God;   I will sing praises to you with the lyre,     O Holy One of Israel. 23   My lips will shout for joy,     when I sing praises to you;     my soul also, which you have redeemed. 24   And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,   for they have been put to shame and disappointed     who sought to do me hurt. Give the King Your Justice Of Solomon. 72   Give the king your justice, O God,     and your righteousness to the royal son! 2   May he judge your people with righteousness,     and your poor with justice! 3   Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,     and the hills, in righteousness! 4   May he defend the cause of the

Psalms 66–69 Psalms 66–69 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2     sing the glory of his name;     give to him glorious praise! 3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!     So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. 4   All the earth worships you     and sings praises to you;     they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:     he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. 6   He turned the sea into dry land;     they passed through the river on foot.   There did we rejoice in him, 7     who rules by his might forever,   whose eyes keep watch on the nations—     let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples;     let the sound of his praise be heard, 9   who has kept our soul among the living     and has not let our feet slip. 10   For you, O God, have tested us;     you have tried us as silver is tried. 11   You brought us into the net;     you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12   you let men ride over our heads;     we went through fire and through water;   yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;     I will perform my vows to you, 14   that which my lips uttered     and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,     with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;   I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,     and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17   I cried to him with my mouth,     and high praise was on1 my tongue.2 18   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,     the Lord would not have listened. 19   But truly God has listened;     he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20   Blessed be God,     because he has not rejected my prayer     or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67   May God be gracious to us and bless us     and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2   that your way may be known on earth,     your saving power among all nations. 3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;     let all the peoples praise you! 4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,     for you judge the peoples with equity     and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;     let all the peoples praise you! 6   The earth has yielded its increase;     God, our God, shall bless us. 7   God shall bless us;     let all the ends of the earth fear him! God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;     and those who hate him shall flee before him! 2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;     as wax melts before fire,     so the wicked shall perish before God! 3   But the righteous shall be glad;     they shall exult before God;     they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;     lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;   his name is the LORD;     exult before him! 5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows     is God in his holy habitation. 6   God settles the solitary in a home;     he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,     but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,     when you marched through the wilderness, Selah 8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,  

Psalms 58–65 Psalms 58–65 (Listen) God Who Judges the Earth To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam1 of David. 58   Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?2     Do you judge the children of man uprightly? 2   No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;     your hands deal out violence on earth. 3   The wicked are estranged from the womb;     they go astray from birth, speaking lies. 4   They have venom like the venom of a serpent,     like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 5   so that it does not hear the voice of charmers     or of the cunning enchanter. 6   O God, break the teeth in their mouths;     tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! 7   Let them vanish like water that runs away;     when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. 8   Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,     like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. 9   Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,     whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!3 10   The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;     he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11   Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;     surely there is a God who judges on earth.” Deliver Me from My Enemies To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam4 of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. 59   Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;     protect me from those who rise up against me; 2   deliver me from those who work evil,     and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3   For behold, they lie in wait for my life;     fierce men stir up strife against me.   For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, 4     for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.   Awake, come to meet me, and see! 5     You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.   Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;     spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah 6   Each evening they come back,     howling like dogs     and prowling about the city. 7   There they are, bellowing with their mouths     with swords in their lips—     for “Who,” they think,5 “will hear us?” 8   But you, O LORD, laugh at them;     you hold all the nations in derision. 9   O my Strength, I will watch for you,     for you, O God, are my fortress. 10   My God in his steadfast love6 will meet me;     God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 11   Kill them not, lest my people forget;     make them totter7 by your power and bring them down,     O Lord, our shield! 12   For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,     let them be trapped in their pride.   For the cursing and lies that they utter, 13     consume them in wrath;     consume them till they are no more,   that they may know that God rules over Jacob     to the ends of the earth. Selah 14   Each evening they come back,     howling like dogs     and prowling about the city. 15   They wander about for food     and growl if they do not get their fill. 16   But I will sing of your strength;     I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.   For you have been to me a fortress     and a refuge in the day of my distress. 17   O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,     for you, O God, are my fortress,     the God who shows me steadfast love. He Will Tread Down Our Foes To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam8 of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. 60   O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;     you have been angry; oh,

Psalms 51–57 Psalms 51–57 (Listen) Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 51   Have mercy on me,1 O God,     according to your steadfast love;   according to your abundant mercy     blot out my transgressions. 2   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,     and cleanse me from my sin! 3   For I know my transgressions,     and my sin is ever before me. 4   Against you, you only, have I sinned     and done what is evil in your sight,   so that you may be justified in your words     and blameless in your judgment. 5   Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,     and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6   Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,     and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;     wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8   Let me hear joy and gladness;     let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9   Hide your face from my sins,     and blot out all my iniquities. 10   Create in me a clean heart, O God,     and renew a right2 spirit within me. 11   Cast me not away from your presence,     and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12   Restore to me the joy of your salvation,     and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13   Then I will teach transgressors your ways,     and sinners will return to you. 14   Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,     O God of my salvation,     and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 15   O Lord, open my lips,     and my mouth will declare your praise. 16   For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;     you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17   The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;     a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18   Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;     build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19   then will you delight in right sacrifices,     in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;     then bulls will be offered on your altar. The Steadfast Love of God Endures To the choirmaster. A Maskil3 of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” 52   Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?     The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 2   Your tongue plots destruction,     like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3   You love evil more than good,     and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah 4   You love all words that devour,     O deceitful tongue. 5   But God will break you down forever;     he will snatch and tear you from your tent;     he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6   The righteous shall see and fear,     and shall laugh at him, saying, 7   “See the man who would not make     God his refuge,   but trusted in the abundance of his riches     and sought refuge in his own destruction!”4 8   But I am like a green olive tree     in the house of God.   I trust in the steadfast love of God     forever and ever. 9   I will thank you forever,     because you have done it.   I will wait for your name, for it is good,     in the presence of the godly. There Is None Who Does Good To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil5 of David. 53   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”     They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;     there is none who does good. 2   God looks down from heaven     on the children of man   to see if there are any who understand,6     who seek after God. 3   They have all fallen away;     together they have become corrupt;   there is none who does g

Psalms 46–50 Psalms 46–50 (Listen) God Is Our Fortress To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.1 A Song. 46   God is our refuge and strength,     a very present2 help in trouble. 2   Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,     though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3   though its waters roar and foam,     though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4   There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,     the holy habitation of the Most High. 5   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;     God will help her when morning dawns. 6   The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;     he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7   The LORD of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8   Come, behold the works of the LORD,     how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9   He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;     he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;     he burns the chariots with fire. 10   “Be still, and know that I am God.     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth!” 11   The LORD of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah God Is King over All the Earth To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 47   Clap your hands, all peoples!     Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 2   For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,     a great king over all the earth. 3   He subdued peoples under us,     and nations under our feet. 4   He chose our heritage for us,     the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5   God has gone up with a shout,     the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6   Sing praises to God, sing praises!     Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7   For God is the King of all the earth;     sing praises with a psalm!3 8   God reigns over the nations;     God sits on his holy throne. 9   The princes of the peoples gather     as the people of the God of Abraham.   For the shields of the earth belong to God;     he is highly exalted! Zion, the City of Our God A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 48   Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised     in the city of our God!   His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,     is the joy of all the earth,   Mount Zion, in the far north,     the city of the great King. 3   Within her citadels God     has made himself known as a fortress. 4   For behold, the kings assembled;     they came on together. 5   As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;     they were in panic; they took to flight. 6   Trembling took hold of them there,     anguish as of a woman in labor. 7   By the east wind you shattered     the ships of Tarshish. 8   As we have heard, so have we seen     in the city of the LORD of hosts,   in the city of our God,     which God will establish forever. Selah 9   We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,     in the midst of your temple. 10   As your name, O God,     so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.   Your right hand is filled with righteousness. 11     Let Mount Zion be glad!   Let the daughters of Judah rejoice     because of your judgments! 12   Walk about Zion, go around her,     number her towers, 13   consider well her ramparts,     go through her citadels,   that you may tell the next generation 14     that this is God,   our God forever and ever.     He will guide us forever.4 Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble? To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 49   Hear this, all peoples!     Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2   both low and high,     rich and poor tog

Psalms 40–45 Psalms 40–45 (Listen) My Help and My Deliverer To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 40   I waited patiently for the LORD;     he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2   He drew me up from the pit of destruction,     out of the miry bog,   and set my feet upon a rock,     making my steps secure. 3   He put a new song in my mouth,     a song of praise to our God.   Many will see and fear,     and put their trust in the LORD. 4   Blessed is the man who makes     the LORD his trust,   who does not turn to the proud,     to those who go astray after a lie! 5   You have multiplied, O LORD my God,     your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;     none can compare with you!   I will proclaim and tell of them,     yet they are more than can be told. 6   In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,     but you have given me an open ear.1   Burnt offering and sin offering     you have not required. 7   Then I said, “Behold, I have come;     in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8   I delight to do your will, O my God;     your law is within my heart.” 9   I have told the glad news of deliverance2     in the great congregation;   behold, I have not restrained my lips,     as you know, O LORD. 10   I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;     I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;   I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness     from the great congregation. 11   As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain     your mercy from me;   your steadfast love and your faithfulness will     ever preserve me! 12   For evils have encompassed me     beyond number;   my iniquities have overtaken me,     and I cannot see;   they are more than the hairs of my head;     my heart fails me. 13   Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!     O LORD, make haste to help me! 14   Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether     who seek to snatch away my life;   let those be turned back and brought to dishonor     who delight in my hurt! 15   Let those be appalled because of their shame     who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16   But may all who seek you     rejoice and be glad in you;   may those who love your salvation     say continually, “Great is the LORD!” 17   As for me, I am poor and needy,     but the Lord takes thought for me.   You are my help and my deliverer;     do not delay, O my God! O Lord, Be Gracious to Me To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 41   Blessed is the one who considers the poor!3     In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; 2   the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;     he is called blessed in the land;     you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3   The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;     in his illness you restore him to full health.4 4   As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;     heal me,5 for I have sinned against you!” 5   My enemies say of me in malice,     “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6   And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,     while his heart gathers iniquity;     when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7   All who hate me whisper together about me;     they imagine the worst for me.6 8   They say, “A deadly thing is poured out7 on him;     he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9   Even my close friend in whom I trusted,     who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10   But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,     and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11   By this I know that you delight in me:     my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12   But you have upheld me be

Psalms 36–39 Psalms 36–39 (Listen) How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD. 36   Transgression speaks to the wicked     deep in his heart;1   there is no fear of God     before his eyes. 2   For he flatters himself in his own eyes     that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3   The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;     he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4   He plots trouble while on his bed;     he sets himself in a way that is not good;     he does not reject evil. 5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,     your faithfulness to the clouds. 6   Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;     your judgments are like the great deep;     man and beast you save, O LORD. 7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!     The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8   They feast on the abundance of your house,     and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9   For with you is the fountain of life;     in your light do we see light. 10   Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,     and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11   Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,     nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12   There the evildoers lie fallen;     they are thrust down, unable to rise. He Will Not Forsake His Saints 2 Of David. 37   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;     be not envious of wrongdoers! 2   For they will soon fade like the grass     and wither like the green herb. 3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;     dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.3 4   Delight yourself in the LORD,     and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5   Commit your way to the LORD;     trust in him, and he will act. 6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,     and your justice as the noonday. 7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;     fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,     over the man who carries out evil devices! 8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!     Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,     but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;     though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11   But the meek shall inherit the land     and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12   The wicked plots against the righteous     and gnashes his teeth at him, 13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,     for he sees that his day is coming. 14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows     to bring down the poor and needy,     to slay those whose way is upright; 15   their sword shall enter their own heart,     and their bows shall be broken. 16   Better is the little that the righteous has     than the abundance of many wicked. 17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,     but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18   The LORD knows the days of the blameless,     and their heritage will remain forever; 19   they are not put to shame in evil times;     in the days of famine they have abundance. 20   But the wicked will perish;     the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;     they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back,     but the righteous is generous and gives; 22   for those blessed by the LORD4 shall inherit the land,     but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23   The steps of a man are established by the LORD,     when he delights i

Psalms 32–35 Psalms 32–35 (Listen) Blessed Are the Forgiven A Maskil1 of David. 32   Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,     whose sin is covered. 2   Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,     and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3   For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away     through my groaning all day long. 4   For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;     my strength was dried up2 as by the heat of summer. Selah 5   I acknowledged my sin to you,     and I did not cover my iniquity;   I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”     and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6   Therefore let everyone who is godly     offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;   surely in the rush of great waters,     they shall not reach him. 7   You are a hiding place for me;     you preserve me from trouble;     you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;     I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9   Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,     which must be curbed with bit and bridle,     or it will not stay near you. 10   Many are the sorrows of the wicked,     but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11   Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,     and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! The Steadfast Love of the Lord 33   Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!     Praise befits the upright. 2   Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;     make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3   Sing to him a new song;     play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4   For the word of the LORD is upright,     and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5   He loves righteousness and justice;     the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6   By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,     and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7   He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;     he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8   Let all the earth fear the LORD;     let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9   For he spoke, and it came to be;     he commanded, and it stood firm. 10   The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;     he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11   The counsel of the LORD stands forever,     the plans of his heart to all generations. 12   Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,     the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13   The LORD looks down from heaven;     he sees all the children of man; 14   from where he sits enthroned he looks out     on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15   he who fashions the hearts of them all     and observes all their deeds. 16   The king is not saved by his great army;     a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17   The war horse is a false hope for salvation,     and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18   Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,     on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19   that he may deliver their soul from death     and keep them alive in famine. 20   Our soul waits for the LORD;     he is our help and our shield. 21   For our heart is glad in him,     because we trust in his holy name. 22   Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,     even as we hope in you. Taste and See That the Lord Is Good 3 Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. 34   I will bless the LORD at all times;     his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2   My soul makes i

Psalms 26–31 Psalms 26–31 (Listen) I Will Bless the Lord Of David. 26   Vindicate me, O LORD,     for I have walked in my integrity,     and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2   Prove me, O LORD, and try me;     test my heart and my mind.1 3   For your steadfast love is before my eyes,     and I walk in your faithfulness. 4   I do not sit with men of falsehood,     nor do I consort with hypocrites. 5   I hate the assembly of evildoers,     and I will not sit with the wicked. 6   I wash my hands in innocence     and go around your altar, O LORD, 7   proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,     and telling all your wondrous deeds. 8   O LORD, I love the habitation of your house     and the place where your glory dwells. 9   Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,     nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10   in whose hands are evil devices,     and whose right hands are full of bribes. 11   But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;     redeem me, and be gracious to me. 12   My foot stands on level ground;     in the great assembly I will bless the LORD. The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation Of David. 27   The LORD is my light and my salvation;     whom shall I fear?   The LORD is the stronghold2 of my life;     of whom shall I be afraid? 2   When evildoers assail me     to eat up my flesh,   my adversaries and foes,     it is they who stumble and fall. 3   Though an army encamp against me,     my heart shall not fear;   though war arise against me,     yet3 I will be confident. 4   One thing have I asked of the LORD,     that will I seek after:   that I may dwell in the house of the LORD     all the days of my life,   to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD     and to inquire4 in his temple. 5   For he will hide me in his shelter     in the day of trouble;   he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;     he will lift me high upon a rock. 6   And now my head shall be lifted up     above my enemies all around me,   and I will offer in his tent     sacrifices with shouts of joy;   I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7   Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;     be gracious to me and answer me! 8   You have said, “Seek5 my face.”   My heart says to you,     “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”6 9     Hide not your face from me.   Turn not your servant away in anger,     O you who have been my help.   Cast me not off; forsake me not,     O God of my salvation! 10   For my father and my mother have forsaken me,     but the LORD will take me in. 11   Teach me your way, O LORD,     and lead me on a level path     because of my enemies. 12   Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;     for false witnesses have risen against me,     and they breathe out violence. 13   I believe that I shall look7 upon the goodness of the LORD     in the land of the living! 14   Wait for the LORD;     be strong, and let your heart take courage;     wait for the LORD! The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield Of David. 28   To you, O LORD, I call;     my rock, be not deaf to me,   lest, if you be silent to me,     I become like those who go down to the pit. 2   Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,     when I cry to you for help,   when I lift up my hands     toward your most holy sanctuary.8 3   Do not drag me off with the wicked,     with the workers of evil,   who speak peace with their neighbors     while evil is in their hearts. 4   Give to them according to their work     and according to the evil of their deeds;   give to them according to the work of their hands;     render them their due reward. 5   Because they do not

Psalms 21–25 Psalms 21–25 (Listen) The King Rejoices in the Lord’s Strength To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 21   O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,     and in your salvation how greatly he exults! 2   You have given him his heart’s desire     and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3   For you meet him with rich blessings;     you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4   He asked life of you; you gave it to him,     length of days forever and ever. 5   His glory is great through your salvation;     splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6   For you make him most blessed forever;1     you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7   For the king trusts in the LORD,     and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8   Your hand will find out all your enemies;     your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9   You will make them as a blazing oven     when you appear.   The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,     and fire will consume them. 10   You will destroy their descendants from the earth,     and their offspring from among the children of man. 11   Though they plan evil against you,     though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12   For you will put them to flight;     you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13   Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!     We will sing and praise your power. Why Have You Forsaken Me? To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. 22   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2   O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest. 3   Yet you are holy,     enthroned on the praises2 of Israel. 4   In you our fathers trusted;     they trusted, and you delivered them. 5   To you they cried and were rescued;     in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6   But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7   All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8   “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9   Yet you are he who took me from the womb;     you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10   On you was I cast from my birth,     and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11   Be not far from me,     for trouble is near,     and there is none to help. 12   Many bulls encompass me;     strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13   they open wide their mouths at me,     like a ravening and roaring lion. 14   I am poured out like water,     and all my bones are out of joint;   my heart is like wax;     it is melted within my breast; 15   my strength is dried up like a potsherd,     and my tongue sticks to my jaws;     you lay me in the dust of death. 16   For dogs encompass me;     a company of evildoers encircles me;   they have pierced my hands and feet3— 17   I can count all my bones—   they stare and gloat over me; 18   they divide my garments among them,     and for my clothing they cast lots. 19   But you, O LORD, do not be far off!     O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20   Deliver my soul from the sword,     my precious life from the power of the dog! 21     Save me from the mouth of the lion!   You have rescued4 me from the horns of the wild oxen! 22   I will tell of your name to my brothers;     in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23   You who fear the LORD, praise him!     All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,     and stand in awe of hi

Psalms 17–20 Psalms 17–20 (Listen) In the Shadow of Your Wings A Prayer of David. 17   Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!     Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2   From your presence let my vindication come!     Let your eyes behold the right! 3   You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,     you have tested me, and you will find nothing;     I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4   With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips     I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5   My steps have held fast to your paths;     my feet have not slipped. 6   I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;     incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7   Wondrously show1 your steadfast love,     O Savior of those who seek refuge     from their adversaries at your right hand. 8   Keep me as the apple of your eye;     hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9   from the wicked who do me violence,     my deadly enemies who surround me. 10   They close their hearts to pity;     with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11   They have now surrounded our steps;     they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. 12   He is like a lion eager to tear,     as a young lion lurking in ambush. 13   Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!     Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14   from men by your hand, O LORD,     from men of the world whose portion is in this life.2   You fill their womb with treasure;3     they are satisfied with children,     and they leave their abundance to their infants. 15   As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;     when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: 18   I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2   The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,     my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,     my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3   I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,     and I am saved from my enemies. 4   The cords of death encompassed me;     the torrents of destruction assailed me;4 5   the cords of Sheol entangled me;     the snares of death confronted me. 6   In my distress I called upon the LORD;     to my God I cried for help.   From his temple he heard my voice,     and my cry to him reached his ears. 7   Then the earth reeled and rocked;     the foundations also of the mountains trembled     and quaked, because he was angry. 8   Smoke went up from his nostrils,5     and devouring fire from his mouth;     glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9   He bowed the heavens and came down;     thick darkness was under his feet. 10   He rode on a cherub and flew;     he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. 11   He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,     thick clouds dark with water. 12   Out of the brightness before him     hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. 13   The LORD also thundered in the heavens,     and the Most High uttered his voice,     hailstones and coals of fire. 14   And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;     he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. 15   Then the channels of the sea were seen,     and the foundations of the world were laid bare   at your rebuke, O LORD,     at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16   He sent from on high, he took me;     he drew me out of many waters. 17   He rescued me