Old Testament

New Testament

Psalm 73-150
BOOK III: PSALMS 73-89
Psalm 73
Why Do the Wicked Prosper?
A psalm by Asaph[].
The Problem
1Surely God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
2But as for me, my feet almost slipped out from under me.
I almost lost my footing.[]
3I even envied the arrogant when I observed the peace of the wicked.
The Prosperity of the Wicked
4For there are no struggles at their death.
Their bodies are stout.
5They do not have the trouble common to people.
They are not plagued along with the rest of mankind.
6Therefore pride is their necklace.
They wear violence like clothing.
7Their eyes bulge out of their fat.[]
The schemes of their hearts step over boundaries.
8They mock. They speak maliciously.
From a high perch they threaten oppression.
9They set their mouths against the heavens.
Their tongues strut around on earth.
10Therefore God's people turn to them,
and they drink it all in.[]
11They say, “How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?”
12See, this is what the wicked are like—
secure forever, they increase in strength.
The Turning Point
13Have I really kept my heart pure for nothing?
Have I kept my hands clean in vain?
14I have been plagued all day.
My punishment comes every morning.
15If I had said, “I will speak like this,”
I would certainly have betrayed the circle of your children.
16When I tried to understand this, it was very troubling to me,
17until I went to the sanctuary of God.
Then I understood their end.
The Solution
18Surely you place them on slippery places.
You cause them to fall into destruction.
19How quickly they come to ruin,
completely destroyed by terrors!
20They are like a dream when someone wakes up.
So when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them like an illusion.
21Yes, my heart was bitter,
and I was torn up inside.
22I was unthinking and ignorant.
I was a dumb animal before you.
23Yet I am always with you.
You hold me by my right hand.
24With your guidance you lead me,
and afterward, you will take me to glory.
25Who else is there for me in heaven?
And besides you I desire no one else on earth.
26My flesh and my heart fail,
but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.
27No doubt about it!
Those who are far from you will perish.
You destroy all who commit adultery against you.
28As for me, God's nearness is good for me.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so that I can tell about all your works.
Psalm 74
The Destruction of the Temple
A maskil[] by Asaph.
Introductory Plea
1Why do you stay angry to the end, O God?
Why does your anger smoke against the flock in your pasture?
2Remember your community that you purchased long ago,
the tribe that you redeemed to be your possession.
Remember Mount Zion where you dwell.
3March toward the perpetual ruins.
March against all the evil done by the enemy in the sanctuary.
The Destruction
4Your foes roared in the middle of your appointed place.
They set up their battle standards as signs.
5They looked like men swinging axes in a thicket of trees.
6Yes, they even chopped up all the carved paneling
with their hatchets and hammers.
7They delivered your sanctuary to the fire.
They defiled the dwelling place for your Name
by throwing it to the ground.
8They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”
They burned all the appointed places of God in the land.
Deserted?
9We do not see any signs to guide us.
There is no longer a prophet,
and none of us knows how long this will go on.
10How long will the foe scoff, O God?
Will the enemy insult your name forever?
11Why do you hold back your hand, even your right hand?
Take it out of your pocket[] and finish them off!
God's Past Goodness
12But you, O God, are my king from long ago,
the one who works salvation right here on earth.
13It was you who shattered the sea by your power.
You broke the heads of the great sea monsters.
14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan.[]
You gave him as food to the people who live in the desert.
15It was you who opened up a spring and a seasonal stream.
You dried up the rivers that flow year-round.
16The day belongs to you, and the night is also yours.
You set the moon and sun in place.
17It was you who laid out all the boundaries of the earth.
Summer and winter—you shaped them.
Plea for Relief
18Remember this—the enemy scoffs, Lord,
and a foolish people has insulted your name.
19Do not surrender the life of your turtledove to a wild animal.
Do not forget the life of your afflicted ones forever.
20Pay attention to the covenant,
because dens of violence fill the dark places in the land.
21Do not let the oppressed turn back in disgrace.
Let the poor and needy praise your name.
22Rise up, O God, and prosecute your case.
Remember how the fools mocked you all day long.
23Do not forget the sound of your foes,
the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually.
Psalm 75
The God of History
For the choir director. “Do Not Destroy.”[] A psalm by Asaph.
A song.
Opening Praise
1We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks.
Your wonderful deeds reveal that your name is near.
God's Declaration
2Yes, I choose the appointed time.
I am the one who judges rightly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants are shaking.
I am the one who holds its pillars firm. Interlude
4I say to the boasters, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not raise a horn.[]
5Do not raise your horns to the heights.
Do not speak insolently with an outstretched neck.”
His People's Response
6Indeed, power to promote someone does not come
from the east or from the west or from the wilderness.
7No, it is God who makes the decision.
He brings down one. He raises up another.
8Indeed, a cup is in the hand of the Lord.
The wine foams. It is fully mixed.
He pours this out.
Yes, they drain its dregs.
All the wicked of the earth drink.
Closing Praise
9As for me, I will proclaim this forever.
I will make music for the God of Jacob.
10I will cut off all the horns of the wicked.
The horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Psalm 76
The God of Victory
For the choir director. With stringed instruments.
A psalm by Asaph. A song.
God's Fame
1God is known in Judah. In Israel his name is great.
2His shelter is in Salem. His dwelling place is in Zion.
God's Victory
3There he broke the flaming arrows,
the shield and the sword, and the weapons for battle. Interlude
4You shine brightly as the Mighty One
from the mountains full of prey.
5The strong-hearted are plundered.
They have fallen into their final sleep.
Not one of the strong men can lift his hands.
6At your rebuke,[] O God of Jacob, both chariot and horses sleep.
7You are to be feared, yes, you.
Who can stand before you at the time of your wrath?
8From heaven you announced judgment.
The earth feared and was quiet
9when you rose up to judge, O God,
and to save all the afflicted of the earth. Interlude
God's Fame
10Even the wrath of mankind[] will bring you praise.
You wear what remains of your wrath like a belt.
11Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them.
Let all who are around him bring tribute to the one who is fearsome.
12He restrains the spirit of nobles.
He is fearsome against the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77
Will the Lord Reject Forever?
For the choir director. According to Jeduthun.[]
By Asaph. A psalm.
The Question
1With my voice to God—
with my voice I cried out to God,
and he listened to me.
2In the day when I was distressed I sought the Lord.
At night my hand was stretched out,
and it never grew tired,
but my soul refused to be comforted.
3God, I remembered and I groaned.
I pondered, and my spirit became weak. Interlude
4You propped my eyelids open.
I was troubled but did not speak.
5I thought about the days of long ago, the years long past.
6During the night I remembered my music.
With my heart I pondered, and my spirit asked,
7“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never again show favor?
8Has his mercy vanished to the end?
Has what he said failed for all generations?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he really shut up his compassion in anger?” Interlude
The Answer
10Then I said, “This is what hurts me:
the change of the right hand of the Most High.”[]
11I will remember the deeds of the Lord.[]
Yes, I will remember your wonderful deed from long ago.
12I will meditate on all your work,
and I will ponder all your deeds.
13O God, your way is carried out in holiness.
What god is as great as God?
14You are the God who performs a wonderful deed.
You made known your power among the peoples.
15With your arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude
16The waters saw you, O God.
The waters saw you and swirled.
Even the depths were turbulent.
17The clouds poured down water.
The skies echoed with thunder.
Indeed, your arrows shot back and forth.
18The sound of your thunder was heard in the tornado.
Lightning lit up the world.
The earth trembled and quaked.
19Your route led through the sea.
Your trail went through the mighty waters,
but your footprints were not detected.
20You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 78
How Often They Rebelled
A maskil by Asaph.
A Solemn Call to Learn From History
1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction.
Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth to share a lesson.
I will speak about puzzling problems from long ago,
3things we have heard and known,
things our fathers have told us.
4We will not hide them from their descendants.
We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders that he has done.
5He set up testimony for Jacob.
In Israel he established the law.
He commanded our fathers to make it known to their children.
6Then the next generation would know it,
even the children not yet born.
They would rise up and tell their children.
7Then they would put their confidence in God,
and they would not forget the deeds of God,
but they would keep his commands.
8Then they would not be like their fathers,
a stubborn, rebellious generation,
a generation that did not keep their hearts steadfast,
whose spirits were not faithful to God.
The Rebellion
9The tribe of Ephraim, equipped and armed with bows,
deserted on the day of battle.
10They did not keep God's covenant,
and they refused to walk in his law.
11They forgot his deeds, the wonders he had shown to them.
God's Goodness in the Wilderness
12In the presence of their fathers he had performed a wonder,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13He split the sea and let them to cross through it.
He made the water stand like a wall.
14He led them with the cloud by day
and all through the night with light from the fire.
15He split the rocks in the wilderness,
and he let them drink water as plentiful as the deep sea.
16He brought streams out of the rocky cliff.
He made water flow down like rivers.
Israel's Rebellion in the Wilderness
17But they continued to sin against him even more,
by rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18They tested God in their hearts by demanding food for their cravings.
19Then they spoke against God.
They said, “Is God able to set a table in the wilderness?
20Sure, he struck the rock and water flowed out,
and stream beds overflowed,
but can he really give us bread?
Can he really supply meat for his people?”
God's Judgment in the Wilderness
21Then the Lord heard, and he showed his anger.
Fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger rose against Israel,
22because they did not believe in God,
and they did not trust in his salvation.
God's Mercy in the Wilderness
23Nevertheless, he gave a command to the skies above,
and he opened the doors of the heavens.
24He rained down manna for them to eat,
and he gave them the grain of heaven.
25Each of them ate the bread of the mighty ones.
He sent them all the food they could eat.
26He sent out the east wind from the heavens,
and he led out the south wind by his power.
27Then he rained meat down on them like dust,
and flying birds like sand on the seashore.
28He made the birds fall down inside their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29Then they ate until they had more than enough,
for he had brought them what they craved.
30They had not yet turned away from what they craved.
Their food was still in their mouths.
31Then God's anger rose up against them.
He killed the strongest among them.
He cut down the best young men of Israel.
32In spite of all this, they kept sinning,
and they did not believe in his wonders.
33So he ended their days in frustration[]
and their years in terror.
34Whenever he struck them down, they would seek him.
Then they turned and sought God.
35Then they remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36But then they would deceive him with their mouths,
and with their tongues they would lie to him.
37Their hearts were not committed to him,
and they were not faithful to his covenant.
38Yet he was compassionate.
He atoned for their guilt and did not destroy them.
Many times he restrained his anger,
and he did not stir up his full wrath.
39He still remembered that they were only flesh,
like a wind that goes by and does not return.
40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness!
How often they grieved him in the wasteland!
41They repeatedly put God to the test.
They provoked[] the Holy One of Israel.
God's Power Displayed in Egypt
42They did not remember the power of his hand
—the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43when he displayed his signs in Egypt
and his wonders in the region of Zoan,
44when he turned their rivers to blood,
so they could not drink from their streams.
45He sent against them a swarm of flies that bit them.
Then he sent frogs that destroyed them.
46Then he gave their crops to the grasshopper.
He gave what they worked for to the locust.
47He killed their grapevines with hail,
and their sycamore fig trees with sleet.
48Then he turned over their cattle to hail,
and their livestock to lightning bolts.
49He sent against them his burning anger,
his wrath and indignation and distress
by sending destroying angels.[]
50He prepared a path for his anger.
He did not spare their lives from death,
but he delivered their lives to the plague.
51Then he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the first fruit of their virility in the tents of Ham.
52But he led his people out like sheep.
He led them like a flock through the wilderness.
53Then he guided them safely, so they were not afraid,
but the sea covered their enemies.
God's Power Displayed in Canaan
54Then he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountain which his right hand had taken.
55He drove out nations before them.
He marked the boundaries of their inheritance,
and he settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
Rebellion in the Land
56But they tested him.
They rebelled against God Most High,
and they did not keep his testimonies.
57Yes, they turned aside and were treacherous like their fathers.
They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
58Then they angered him with their high places,
and they made him jealous with their idols.
Judgment in the Land
59God heard, and he showed his anger.
He completely rejected Israel.
60So he abandoned his dwelling in Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelled among people.
61So he sent the symbol of his strength[] away into captivity.
He gave his splendor into the hand of the foe.
62He also handed over his people to the sword,
and he showed his anger against his possession.
63Fire consumed their best young men,
so their virgins were not praised in wedding songs.
64Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows did not weep.
Mercy in the Land
65Then the Lord awoke like someone who has been sleeping,
like a warrior overcome by wine.
66Then he drove back his foes.
He gave them everlasting shame.
67Then he rejected the tent of Joseph,
and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68But he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loved.
69Then he built up his sanctuary like the heights,
like the world that he established for all time.
70Then he chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens.
71He brought him from following the mother sheep
to shepherd his people Jacob
and his possession Israel.
72So he shepherded them with a sincere heart,
and with skillful hands he led them.
Psalm 79
They Have Reduced Jerusalem to Rubble
A psalm by Asaph.
The Destruction and the Disgrace
1God, the nations have invaded your possession.
They have profaned your holy temple.
They have reduced Jerusalem to a heap of ruins.
2They have left the corpses of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky.
They have given the flesh of your favored ones to the wild animals.
3They have poured out their blood like water all over Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
4We are subjected to contempt by our neighbors,
to mockery and ridicule by those around us.
The Prayer for Justice
5How long, O Lord? Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your jealous anger burn like fire?
6Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms that do not call on your name,
7because they have devoured Jacob,
and they have destroyed his pasture land. []
8Do not charge the guilt of our fathers against us.
Hurry, let your compassion come to meet us,
for we are very weak.
9God, who saves us, help us for the glory of your name.
Deliver us and make atonement for our sins for your name's sake.
10Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes, display to the nations
vengeance for the poured-out blood of your servants.
11May the groaning of the prisoner come before you.
According to the great strength of your arm
preserve those doomed to death.
12Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times as much scorn
as the scorn that they directed at you, Lord.
13Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will praise you forever.
From generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Psalm 80
Hear, O Shepherd of Israel
For the choir director. To “Lilies.”[] A Testimony.[]
By Asaph. A psalm.
Opening Plea
1O Shepherd of Israel, give ear,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are seated above the cherubim, shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might.
Come with salvation for us.
Refrain
3God, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
The Problem
4 Lord God of Armies, how long will your anger smoke
against the prayer of your people?
5You make them eat bread with tears,
and you make them drink tears by the quart.[]
6You create strife between us and our neighbors,
so our enemies join together in mocking us.
Refrain
7God of Armies, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
Past Blessing
8You brought a vine out from Egypt.
You drove out the nations, and you planted it.
9You cleared a place for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered by its shade,
the cedars of God with its branches.
11It sent out its boughs to the Sea,[]
its shoots as far as the River.[]
Present Judgment
12Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its fruit?
13A wild boar from the forest tears it up,
and the wild animals[] feed on it.
Prayer for the King
14God of Armies, return now!
Look down from heaven and see,
and take care of this vine,
15the shoot that your right hand has planted,
the son that you made strong for yourself.
16It is burned with fire like garbage.[]
Because of the rebuke from your face they perish.
17Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
on the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself.[]
18Then we will not turn away from you.
Cause us to live, and we will call on your name.
Refrain
19 Lord God of Armies, restore us, and make your face shine,
so we will be saved.
Psalm 81
If Only
For the choir director. According to gittith.[] By Asaph.
Invitation to Worship
1Sing a loud song to God, our strength.
Shout to the God of Jacob!
2Begin the music, and play the hand drum.
Play the sweet-sounding lyre along with the harp.
3Sound the ram's horn at the new moon
and at the full moon for our festival day.
4Yes, this is an order for Israel,
a regulation from the God of Jacob.
5God established it as a testimony for Joseph
when he went out against the land of Egypt.
There I heard a language I did not know.[]
A Warning from the Lord
6The Lord says:
I relieved Israel's shoulders from the burden.
His hands were set free from carrying buckets.
7In distress you called and I rescued you.
I answered you from the hiding place of thunder.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Interlude
8Listen, my people, and I will warn you.
If only you would listen to me, Israel!
9There shall be no foreign god among you!
You shall not bow down to a strange god.
10I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11But my people would not listen to my voice,
and Israel was not willing to obey me.
12So I sent them off in the stubbornness of their hearts.
They walked according to their own plans.
13If only my people would listen to me,
if only Israel would walk in my ways,
14I would subdue their enemies quickly.
I would turn my hand against their foes.
15Those who hate the Lord would cower before him,
and their time of punishment would last forever.
16But he would feed Israel with the best wheat.
With honey from the rock I would satisfy you.
Psalm 82
Woe to Corrupt Rulers
A psalm by Asaph
Judgment on Corrupt Rulers
1God is standing in the assembly of God.
In the midst of the gods[] he renders judgment.
God's Verdict
2How long will you judge unjustly
and show favoritism to the wicked? Interlude
3Judge in favor of the weak and the fatherless.
Acquit the oppressed and the poor.
4Rescue the weak and the needy.
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5They do not know. They do not understand.
They walk around in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6I myself said, “You are ‘gods,’
and you are all ‘sons of the Most High.’
7But you will die like men.
You will fall like any other ruler.”
Prayer
8Rise up, O God. Judge the earth,
for you will take possession of all the nations.
Psalm 83
Surrounded by Enemies
A song. A psalm by Asaph.
Opening Plea
1God, do not keep silent.
Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, God.
A Catalog of Enemies
2Look! Your enemies are in an uproar,
and those who hate you have raised their head.
3Against your people they devise deceptive schemes,
and they plot together against the people you treasure.
4They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation,
so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”
5Indeed, with one mind they plot together.
They form an alliance against you:
6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7Gebal[] and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the inhabitants of Tyre.
8Even Ashshur has joined with them.
They have become the arm of the descendants of Lot.[] Interlude
Prayer for Destruction of the Enemies
9Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the stream Kishon.
10They perished at Endor.
They became like manure for the ground.
11Make their nobles like Oreb and like Ze'eb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12who said, “Let us take possession of God's pastures for ourselves.”
13My God, make them like tumbleweed,
like chaff before the wind.
14As fire burns the forest,
or as a flame sets the mountains on fire,
15so pursue them with your violent wind,
and terrify them with your storm.
16Fill their faces with shame
so that they will seek your name, O Lord.
17May they be ashamed and terrified forever.
May they be disgraced and perish.
18Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord,
you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 84
How I Love Your Dwelling Place
For the choir director. According to gittith.[]
By the Sons of Korah.[] A psalm.
How Loved Is Your Dwelling Place
1How I love your dwelling place, O Lord of Armies.
2My soul grows weak and even wastes away,
as I long for the courtyards of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow has found a nest for herself,
where she may place her young near your altars,
O Lord of Armies, my King and my God.
The Blessings of Being There
4How blessed are those who live in your house.
They are always praising you. Interlude
5How blessed is everyone
whose strength is found in you.
The highways to Jerusalem[] are in their hearts.
6As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
it becomes full of springs.[]
The autumn rain also covers it with pools.[]
7They go from strength to strength.
Each one will appear before God in Zion.
Prayer
8O Lord, God of Armies, hear my prayer.
Give ear, O God of Jacob. Interlude
9Look upon our Shield, O God.
Look with favor on the face of your Anointed One.[]
The Blessings of Being There
10Yes, one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather wait at the doorway of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11For the Lord is a sun and shield.
God gives grace and glory.
The Lord does not withhold any good thing
from those who walk with integrity.
12O Lord of Armies, how blessed is everyone who trusts in you.
Psalm 85
You Showed Favor to Your Land
For the choir director. By the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
Past Goodness
1You showed favor to your land, O Lord.
You restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2You removed the guilt of your people.
You covered all their sin. Interlude
3You put away all your wrath.
You turned from your burning anger.
Present Distress
4Restore us, O God who saves us.
Put an end to your indignation with us.
5Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you extend your anger through all generations?
6Will you not turn and revive us,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Hope for the Future
7Show us your mercy, O Lord,
and give us your salvation.
8I will hear what the true God, the Lord, will say.
He indeed speaks peace to his people, to his favored ones,
but do not let them turn to foolish ways.
9Surely his salvation is near for those who fear him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.
10Mercy and truth meet together.
Righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11Truth springs up from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12The Lord will indeed give good things,
and our land will yield its harvest.
13Righteousness walks in front of him.
It prepares the way for his footsteps.
Psalm 86
Guard My Life
A prayer by David.
David's Need and David's Faith
1Turn your ear, O Lord.
Answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am favored by you.[]
You are my God.
Save your servant, who trusts in you.
3Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
God's Grace
5Indeed, you, Lord, are good and forgiving
and abounding in mercy to all who call to you.
6Give ear to my prayer, O Lord.
Pay attention to the sound of my cries for mercy.
God's Ruling Power
7In the day of my distress I will call to you,
because you will answer me.
8There is no one like you among the gods, O Lord.
There are no deeds like your deeds.
9All the nations you have made will come.
They will bow before you, O Lord,
and they will give glory to your name,
10because you are great and do marvelous deeds.
You alone are God.
God's Praise
11Teach me your way, O Lord.
I will walk in your truth.
Give me wholehearted commitment to fear your name.
12I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your mercy toward me,
and you have delivered my soul from “the lowest hell.”[]
The Plea Repeated
14God, the arrogant rise against me.
A mob of ruthless men seeks my life.
They pay no attention to you.
15But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy and faithfulness.
16Turn to me and have mercy on me.
Give your strength to your servant.
Save the son of your maidservant.
17Give a sign of your goodness for me.
Then those who hate me will see it and be put to shame,
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 87
The Glorious City
By the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
The Holy City
1The city he founded is on the holy mountains.
2The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3Glorious things are spoken about you, O City of God. Interlude
Its Citizens
4I will register Rahab[] and Babylon among those who know me.
Look! Philistia and Tyre are there, along with Cush!
Of them I say, “This one was born there in Zion.”[]
5And about Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6When he registers the peoples,
the Lord will write:
“This one was born there.” Interlude
7Then the singers, as they dance, will sing,
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 88
Darkness Is My Friend
A song. A psalm. By the Sons of Korah.
For the choir director. According to mahalath leannoth.[]
A maskil[] of Heman the Ezrahite.
Opening Plea
1O Lord, the God who saves me, by day I cry out.
At night I cry before you.
2May my prayer come before you.
Turn your ear to my cry.
The Problem
3Indeed, my soul has had its fill of troubles,
and my life has arrived at the grave.
4I am treated like those who go down to the pit.
I am like someone without strength.
5I am turned loose with the dead.
I am like the slain who lie in the grave,
like the ones you do not remember anymore,
like those who are cut off from your hand.
6You have put me in the lowest pit,
in dark places, in the depths.
7Your wrath presses against me.
You have battered me with all your breakers. Interlude
8You have distanced my acquaintances from me.
You have made me repulsive to them.
I am shut in and I cannot get out.
9My eyesight grows dim from affliction.
I call to you, O Lord, every day.
I spread out my hands to you.
The Darkness of Death
10Is it for the dead that you do a miracle?
Do the spirits of the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude
11Is your mercy declared in the tomb,
your faithfulness in decay?
12Is your wonderful work known in the darkness.
Is your righteousness known in the land of forgetfulness?
13But I cry to you, O Lord,
and in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14Why, O Lord, do you reject my soul?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15I have been afflicted
and I have been close to death since my youth.
I have endured your terrors.
I am in despair.
16Your rage has swept over me.
Your terrors have destroyed me.
17All day long they surround me like water.
They have battered me completely.
18You have distanced my loved one and friend from me.
My only friend is darkness.
Psalm 89
The Covenant With David
A maskil by Ethan the Ezrahite.
Opening Praise
1I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.
With my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
2Yes, I have said, “Your mercy is built to last forever.
In the heavens you establish your faithfulness.”
The Statement of the Covenant
3The Lord said,[]
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.
I have sworn to David my servant.
4I will establish your seed[] forever,
and I will build your throne through all generations.” Interlude
God's Power Upholds the Covenant
5The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
also your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
6For who in the skies can compare with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the sons of God?
7God is revered in the council of the holy ones.
He is to be feared more than all who surround him.
8O Lord God of Armies, who is like you?
You are mighty, O Lord,[]
and your faithfulness surrounds you.
9You rule over the majestic sea.
When its waves rise up, you quiet them.
10You crushed Rahab[] like one of the slain.
With your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11The heavens are yours, and yours also is the earth.
You founded the world and everything that fills it.
12You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name.
13Your arm works for you with power.
Your hand is strong. Your right hand is raised high.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Mercy and truth are right in front of you.
The Security of God's People
15How blessed are the people who know the joyful cry.
Lord, they walk in the light from your face.
16In your name they celebrate all day long.
In your righteousness they are lifted up.
17For you are the beauty of their strength,
and by your favor you exalt our Horn.[]
18Indeed, our Shield belongs to the Lord,
our King to the Holy One of Israel.
The Promise to David
19Once you spoke in a vision to your favored ones.
You said:
I have granted help to a warrior.
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20I found David my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him.
21He is the one whom my hand will sustain.
Surely my arm will strengthen him.
22No enemy will subject him to tribute.
No violent man will oppress him.
23I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
24My faithfulness and mercy will be with him,
and through my name his horn[] will be exalted.
25I will set his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
26He will call out to me, “You are my Father,
my God and the Rock that saves me.”
27I will also make him the Firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28I will keep my mercy for him forever,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29I will establish his seed forever.
His throne will endure like the days of the heavens.
The Terms of the Covenant
30If his sons forsake my law,
and they do not walk according to my judgments,
31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commands,
32I will punish their rebellion with the rod, their guilt with whipping.
33But I will not break off my mercy from him.
I will not let my truth become false.
34I will not violate my covenant.
I will not alter what comes out of my lips.
35Once and for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
surely I will not lie to David—
36that his seed will continue forever,
and his throne will endure before me like the sun.
37It will be established forever like the moon.
This witness in the sky is faithful. Interlude
The Covenant Abandoned?
38But you have rejected, you have cast off,
you have been very angry with your anointed one,
39and you have renounced the covenant with your servant,
and you have thrown his crown on the ground.
40You have broken down all his walls
and reduced his fortresses to rubble.
41All who pass by on the road have plundered him.
He is despised by his neighbors.
42You have raised up the right hand of his foes.
You have made all his enemies happy.
43Indeed, you have deflected the edge of his sword,
and you have not let him stand up in battle.
44You have put an end to his majesty,
and you have hurled his throne to the ground.
45You have cut short the days of his youth.
You have clothed him with shame. Interlude
46How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
Will your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember me! What is my life!
For you have created such futility for all the children of Adam!
48Can anyone live and not see death,
or save his life from the power of the grave? Interlude
49Where are your former mercies, O Lord,
which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
50Remember, Lord, the scorn your servants have[] endured.
(I carry on my heart all the many peoples!)[]
51Remember the scorn
with which your enemies have been scornful, O Lord,
with which they have scorned the steps of your Anointed One.
Closing Doxology
52Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.
BOOK IV: PSALMS 90-106
Psalm 90
Teach Us to Number Our Days
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
God Is Eternal
1Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
2Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity you are God.
Man Is Mortal
3You grind people to dust,
and you say, “Return, children of Adam.”
4For a thousand years in your sight are like a day,
like yesterday that has gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5You sweep them away like a flood.
They are like sleep in the morning,
like grass which changes quickly.
6In the morning it sprouts and grows.
By evening it is cut down, and it withers.
7Surely, we are consumed by your anger,
and by your wrath we are terrified.
8You have laid out our guilty deeds in front of you.
Our hidden sins are revealed in the light of your face.
9For all our days pass away under your fury.
We finish our years like a sigh.
10The days of our lives add up to seventy years,
or eighty years if we are strong.
Yet the best of them are trouble and sorrow,
for they disappear quickly, and we fly away.
11Who can understand the power of your anger?
But your fury is consistent with the fear that is owed to you.
Mortal Man Needs God's Grace
12Teach us to number our days in such a way
that we bring a heart of wisdom.
13Turn, O Lord! How long!
Change your mind toward your servants.
14Satisfy us in the morning with your mercy,
so that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16Let your deeds be seen by your servants
and your majesty by their children.
17May the kindness of the Lord our God rest upon us.
Establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 91
The Shadow of Your Wings
The General Principle
1One who lives in the shelter of the Most High
will stay in the shadow of the Almighty.
Application of the Principle to Oneself
2I will say to the Lord,
“My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
Application of the Principle to Others
3Surely he will rescue you from the fowler's trap,
from the destructive plague.
4With his feathers he will cover you,
and under his wings you will find refuge.
His truth will be your shield and armor.
5You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6nor the plague that prowls in the darkness,
nor the pestilence that destroys at noon.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only observe it with your eyes.
You will see the punishment of the wicked.
Application to Oneself
9Yes, you Lord are my refuge!
Application to Others
If you make the Most High your shelter,
10evil will not overtake you.
Disaster will not come near your tent.
11Because he will give a command to his angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways.
12They will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent.
God's Promise of Delivery
14The Lord says,[]
Because he clings to me, I will rescue him.
I will protect him, because he acknowledges my name.
15He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in distress.
I will deliver him and I will honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him,
and I will let him see my salvation.
Psalm 92
It Is Good to Praise the Lord
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath.
A Call to Praise
1It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
2to proclaim your mercy in the morning
and your faithfulness every night,
3with a ten-stringed instrument and with a harp,
with a melody on a lyre.
The Blessings of Praise
4Yes, you make me glad by your work, O Lord.
I sing loudly at the works of your hands.
5How great are your works, O Lord.
Your thoughts are very deep!
The Folly and Fall of the Wicked
6The senseless man does not know,
and the fool does not understand this—
7when the wicked spring up like weeds,
and all evildoers bloom like flowers,
they will be destroyed forever.
Central Affirmation
8But you are exalted forever, O Lord.
The Fall of the Wicked
9Without a doubt your enemies, O Lord,
without a doubt your enemies will perish.
All evildoers will be scattered.
The Blessing of the Righteous
10But you have raised my horn like that of a wild ox.[]
I am drenched with fresh oil.[]
11My eyes have looked in triumph over my adversaries.
When evildoers rise against me, my ears hear their defeat.
12The righteous will shoot up like a palm tree.
They will grow tall like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Planted in the house of the Lord,
they will shoot up in the courtyards of our God.
14They will still produce fruit in old age.
They will stay fresh and green.
Closing Praise
15Yes, they can proclaim, “The Lord is upright.
He is my Rock, and he does no wrong.”
Psalm 93
The Lord Rules the World
1The Lord reigns. He is clothed in majesty.
The Lord is clothed. He wears strength like a belt.
Yes, the world stands firm. It will not be moved.
2Your throne was established long ago.
You are from eternity.
3The waves[] have lifted up, O Lord,
the waves have lifted up their voice.
The waves roar loudly.
4Mightier than the thundering of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty.
5Your testimonies stand very firm.
Holiness beautifies your house for endless days, O Lord.
Psalm 94
The Lord Rules the Wicked
A Call for Vengeance
1O Lord, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth.
2Rise up, O Judge of the earth.
Repay the proud with what they deserve.
3How long will the wicked, O Lord,
how long will the wicked celebrate?
The Deeds of the Wicked
4They gush. They speak arrogantly.
All the evildoers brag about themselves.
5They crush your people, O Lord.
They oppress the people that belong to you.
6They kill the widow and the alien.
They murder the fatherless.
7Then they say, “The Lord[] does not see.
The God of Jacob does not understand.”
8Understand, you brutes among the people.
You fools, when will you become wise?
Relief for the Righteous
9The one who planted the ear—will he not hear?
The one who formed the eye—will he not observe?
10The one who disciplines nations—will he not rebuke them?
He is the one who teaches mankind knowledge.
11The Lord knows the thoughts of mankind.
He knows that they are just vapor.
12How blessed is the person whom you discipline, O Lord,
whom you teach from your law.
13You grant him rest in days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the Lord will not desert his people,
and he will never forsake those who are his own.
15Then judgment will again be based on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will pursue it.
16Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17Unless the Lord had been my helper,
my soul would soon have dwelt in silence.
18When I said, “My foot has slipped,”
your mercy, Lord, upheld me.
19When my worries within me were many,
your comfort brought joy to my soul.
20Can a destructive throne be allied with you,
one that creates injustice by its decrees?
21They band together against the life of the righteous,
and they condemn innocent blood.
22But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God is the rock where I take refuge.
23Then he will repay them for their iniquity,
and he will destroy them for their wickedness.
The Lord our God will destroy them.
Psalm 95
Worship and Warning
Worship
1Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord.
Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us.
2Let us approach his presence with thanksgiving.
With music we will shout to him.
3For the Lord is the great God
and the great King above all gods.
4He holds the unexplored places of the earth in his hand,
and the peaks of the mountains belong to him.
5The sea belongs to him, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6Come, let us bow down. Let us revere him.
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,
7for he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture
and the flock in his hand.
Warning
Today, if you hear his voice,
8do not harden your hearts as they did at Meribah,
as they did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9where your fathers challenged me
and tested me though they had seen what I had done.
10For forty years I was disgusted with that generation,
and I said, “They are a people who have hearts that stray.
They do not acknowledge my ways.”
11So I swore in my anger,
“They shall never enter my resting place.”
Psalm 96
Sing to the Lord a New Song
Call to Worship
1Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2Sing to the Lord. Praise his name.
Proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3Tell about his glory among the nations,
about his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Praise Him Alone
4For great is the Lord and worthy of great praise.
He is to be feared above all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are “nothings,”[]
but the Lord made the heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are before him.
Power and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, families of peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and power.
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.
Bring a gift and come into his courtyards.
9Bow down to the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.[]
Look away from his face,[] all the earth.
10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established.
It will not be moved.
He will judge the peoples with fairness.
Let Nature Praise Him
11Let the heavens rejoice.
Let the earth celebrate.
Let the sea roar,
and all that fills it.
12Let the fields be overjoyed,
and everything that is in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 97
The Lord Reigns. Throw Away Your Idols
Introduction
1The Lord reigns. Let the earth celebrate.
Let the many islands and coastlands rejoice.
God Will Judge
2Clouds and deep darkness surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3Fire goes out in front of him.
It burns up his foes all around him.
4His lightning lights up the world.
The earth sees and writhes in pain.
5The mountains melt like wax
in the presence of the Lord,
in the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
6The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
Warning Against Idols
7All who serve idols are put to shame,
those who boast in “nothings.”[]
Bow to him, all you gods!
His People's Response
8Zion hears and rejoices,
and the daughters of Judah[] celebrate
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.
You are raised up far above all gods.
10Let those who love the Lord hate evil.
He guards the lives of his favored ones.
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11Light rises[] for the righteous
and joy for the upright in heart.
12Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
and give thanks as you remember his holiness.
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a New Song
A Psalm.
Invitation
1Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Let His People Sing
2The Lord has made his salvation known.
He has revealed his righteousness to the eyes of the nations.
3He has remembered his mercy and his faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Let All People Sing
4Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out in joyful song! Make music!
5Make music to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of music.
6With trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn
shout for joy before the King, the Lord.
Let the Whole Earth Sing
7Let the sea roar, and everything that fills it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the mountains sing for joy together before the Lord,
9for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with fairness.[]
Psalm 99
The Holy One Rules in Israel
Admonition to the Nations
1The Lord reigns. Let the peoples tremble.
He is seated above the cherubim. Let the earth quake.
2The Lord is great in Zion. He is exalted over all the peoples.
3Let them praise your name, great and awesome.
Refrain
He is holy!
Assurance to Israel
4The King is mighty. He loves justice.
You, Lord,[] have established fairness.
In Jacob you carried out justice and righteousness.
5Exalt the Lord our God and bow down before his footstool.
Refrain
He is holy!
Examples from History
6Moses and Aaron were among his priests.
Samuel was among those who call on his name.
They called on the Lord, and he answered them.
7From within the pillar of cloud he spoke to them.
They kept his testimonies and the order that he gave them.
8O Lord our God, you answered them.
For them you were a God who removes sin,
but you repaid them for their deeds.
Concluding Refrain
9Exalt the Lord our God
and bow down before his holy mountain,
because the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100
The Lord Rules His People
A psalm for giving thanks.
Know that the Lord Is God
1Shout to the Lord with joy, all the earth.
2Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him with joyful songs.
3Know that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his.[]
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.[]
5For the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever.
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 101
The Good Ruler
By David. A psalm.
The Righteousness of the Lord
1I will sing about your mercy and justice.
To you, O Lord, I will make music.
The Righteousness of the King
2I will act wisely, following the way that is honest.
When will you come to me?
Within my palace I will conduct myself with integrity.[]
Righteousness in His Court
3I will not tolerate an evil[] cause in my sight.
I hate unfaithfulness and apostasy.[]
It will not stick to me.
4A perverted heart shall be kept far from me.
I will not acknowledge evil.
5I will silence anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I cannot tolerate anyone who has arrogant eyes and a proud heart.
6My eyes will watch for the faithful in the land,
so that they can be seated with me.
Those who walk in the way of integrity will serve as my ministers.
7Anyone who practices deceit will not sit inside my palace.
Anyone who is a liar will not stand in my sight.
8Every morning I will silence all the wicked in the land,
in order to cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.
Psalm 102
The Afflicted Ruler
A prayer for an afflicted person who is weary and pours out his complaints before the Lord.
Opening Plea
1O Lord, hear my prayer,
and let my cry for help come to you.
2Do not hide your face from me on the day when I am distressed.
Turn your ear to me on the day I call.
Hurry! Answer me!
The Shortness of His Days
3Yes, my days go up in smoke,
and my bones are burned like hot coals.
4My heart is cut down and withered like grass,
so I forget to eat my food.
5Because of the sound of my groaning my bones stick out of my flesh.
6I am like an owl in the wilderness,
like a screech owl[] among the ruins.
7I lie awake.
I have become like a lonely bird on a roof.
8All day long my enemies taunt me.
Those who ridicule me use my name as a curse,
9because I eat ashes like bread,
and I mix tears with my drinks.
10Because of your rage and your wrath
you have picked me up and thrown me away.
11My days are being stretched out like a shadow,
and I am dried up like grass.
God's Endless Years
12But you, Lord, sit on your throne forever,
and you will be remembered through all generations.
13You will rise and have compassion on Zion.
Yes, it is time to be gracious to her,
because the appointed time has come.
14Yes, your servants will show favor to her stones,
and they will have compassion on her dust.
15Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16For the Lord will rebuild Zion.
He will appear in his glory.
17He will respond to the prayer of the naked.
He will not despise their prayer.
18Let this be written till the last generation,
so that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.[]
19For the Lord looked down from his high, holy place.
From heaven he viewed the earth
20to hear the groans of the prisoner
to release those condemned to death.
21So the name of the Lord will be recorded in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem
22when the peoples and the kingdoms are gathered together
to serve the Lord.
The Plea Repeated
23He took away my strength during my lifetime.
He cut short my days.
24I said, “My God, do not take me away in the middle of my days.”
The Eternal King
Your years go on through all generations.
25Long ago you laid a foundation for the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26They will perish, but you remain.
All of them wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them,
and they will be changed.
27But you are the same,
and your years will never end.
28The children of your servants will dwell with you,
and their descendants will be established before you.
Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, Who Forgives All Your Sins
By David.
Invitation to Praise
1Bless the Lord,[] O my soul.
All that is within me, bless his holy name.
Praise for Personal Blessings
2Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3who pardons all your guilt,
who heals all your diseases,
4who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5who satisfies your life[] with goodness,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Praise for Blessings Through Moses
6The Lord performs righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel.
God's Great Mercy
8The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
9He will not always accuse.
He will not keep his anger forever.
10He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
He does not repay us according to our guilty deeds.
God's Mercy Illustrated
11Yes, as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so powerful is his mercy toward those who fear him.
12As distant as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our rebellious acts from us.
13As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
14For he knows how we were formed.
He remembers that we are dust.
Man's Short Life
15As for man, his days are like grass.
Like a wild flower he blossoms.
16Then the wind blows over it, and it is gone,
and its place recognizes it no more.
The Covenant with Moses Proclaims God's Eternal Mercy
17But the Lord's mercy is from eternity to eternity
over those who fear him,
and his righteousness is with their children's children,
18with those who keep his covenant,
with those who remember his precepts in order to obey them.
Closing Praise
19The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his royal power rules over all.
20Bless the Lord, you his angels,
you strong warriors who obey his word
by listening to what he says.
21Bless the Lord, all his armies,
you who minister to him,
you who do whatever pleases him.
22Bless the Lord, everything he has made
in all places where he rules.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 104
Bless the Lord, Who Creates Wonders
Introduction
1Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with splendor and majesty.
Day One—Light
2He wears light like a robe.
Day Two—the Sky
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy.
3He lays beams on the waters to support his upper chambers.
He makes clouds his chariot.
He travels on the wings of the wind.
4He makes his messengers[] winds.
His ministers are blazing fire.
Day Three—the Waters and Plants
5He placed the earth firmly on its foundations.
It cannot be moved forever and ever.
6You covered it with the deep as a garment.
The waters stood above the mountains.
7At your rebuke they fled.
At the sound of your thunder they hurried away.
8The waters surged up the mountains.
They went down into the valleys,[]
to the place that you prepared for them.
9You set a boundary that they cannot cross.
They will not return to cover the earth.
10He makes springs flow into streams
that run between the mountains.
11They give water to every wild animal.
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12The birds of the sky live by the streams.
From among the branches they send out their song.
13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers.
The earth is filled with the fruit he produces.
14He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants that people use[] to produce food from the earth.
15Also wine that makes people's hearts glad,
olive oil to make their face shine,
and bread that sustains their lives.[]
16The trees of the Lord have everything they need.
He planted the cedars of Lebanon,
17where birds make their nests.
The stork has its home in the fir trees.
18The high mountains are for the wild goats.
The crags are a refuge for the rock badgers.
Day Four—the Lights
19The moon marks off the months and seasons.
The sun knows when to go down.
20You bring darkness, and it becomes night.
During it, all the animals in the forest move about.
21The young lions roar for their prey.
They are seeking their food from God.
22The sun rises, and they gather together.
They return to their dens and lie down.
23Man goes out to his work.
He continues his labor until evening.
Days Five and Six—Animals and Man
24How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25Here is the sea, great and very wide.
In it creatures swarm beyond number,
living things, the small with the large.
26There the ships go back and forth,
and the leviathan[] that you formed to play in it.
27All of them wait hopefully for you to give them their food in its time.
28You give it to them. They gather it up.
You open your hand. They are satisfied with good things.
29You hide your face. They are terrified.
You take away their breath.
They breathe their last and return to their dust.
30You send your Spirit; they are created.
You renew the face of the earth.
Closing Benediction and Prayer
31May the glory of the Lord endure forever.
May the Lord rejoice in his works.
32He looks at the earth and it trembles.
He touches the mountains and they smoke.
33I will sing to the Lord throughout my life.
I will make music to my God as long as I last.
34May my meditation be pleasing to him.
I will rejoice in the Lord.
35May sinners come to an end on the earth,
and the wicked—may they be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord![]
Psalm 105
The Lord Remembers His Covenant
Opening Praise
1Give thanks to the Lord.
Proclaim[] his name.
Make his deeds known among the peoples.
2Sing to him, make music to him.
Meditate on all his wonders.
3Take pride in his holy name.
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4Search for the Lord and his strength.
Seek his face always.
5Remember the wonders which he has done,
his signs, and the judgments from his mouth,
6you descendants of Abraham his servant,
you sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7He is the Lord our God.
His judgments are in all the earth.
The Promise of the Covenant
8He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded for a thousand generations,
9the covenant which he made with Abraham,
and his oath to Isaac.
10Yes, he confirmed it to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant.
11He said, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
the territory you will possess.”
The Lord Is Faithful in Canaan:
His Protection of the Patriarchs
12While they were few in number,
just a little group and aliens in the land,
13they moved around from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people.
14He did not allow anyone to oppress them,
and he rebuked kings because of them:
15“Do not touch my anointed ones,
and do not harm my prophets.”
The Lord Is Faithful in Egypt:
His Protection of Joseph
16Then he summoned a famine on the land.
He destroyed their entire food supply.
17He sent ahead of them a man sold as a slave, Joseph.
18They hurt his feet with chains.
His throat was clamped in an iron collar,
19until the time when his predictions came true.
The promise of the Lord tested him.
20The king sent for him and released him.
The ruler of peoples set him free.
21He made him master of his house
and ruler over all his possessions,
22to bind his officials by his will,
to teach his elders wisdom.
The Lord Is Faithful in Egypt:
His Protection of the People
23Then Israel came to Egypt.
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.[]
24Then the Lord made his people very fruitful.
He made them too numerous for their foes.
25He turned the Egyptians' hearts so they hated his people.
They dealt deceitfully with his servants.
26He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27They performed his signs among them,
his warning signs in the land of Ham.
28He sent darkness, and it became extremely dark,
because Israel[] did not rebel against his words.
29He turned their waters into blood,
and he caused their fish to die.
30Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the rooms of their kings.
31He spoke, and a swarm of flies came.
There were lice[] throughout their borders.
32He gave them hail instead of rain,
with blazing lightning throughout their land.
33Then he struck down their vines and fig trees,
and he broke down the trees within their borders.
34He spoke, and the locusts came,
and grasshoppers without number.
35They ate every green plant in their land.
They ate the produce of their soil.
36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the first fruit of all their virility.
37Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold.
From among their tribes no one stumbled.
38Egypt was glad when they went out,
because fear of Israel had fallen on them.
The Lord Is Faithful in the Wilderness
39He spread out a cloud as a canopy
and fire to give light at night.
40They asked, and he brought quail,
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.
41He opened the rock, and water gushed out.
It flowed in the desert like a river.
The Lord Is Faithful in the Land
42Because he remembered his holy word to Abraham, his servant,
43he brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with a joyful shout.
44He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the work of other peoples
45so that they could keep his statutes and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord![]
Psalm 106
Israel Forgets
Introduction
1Praise the Lord![]
Give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2Who can tell about the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Who can cause all his praise to be heard?
3Blessed are those who defend justice,
who do what is right all the time.
4Remember me, O Lord,
when you show favor to your people.
Visit me with your salvation,
5so that I may experience the good that belongs to your chosen ones,
so that I may rejoice in the joy of your nation,
that I may join in praise with the people that belong to you.
Rebellion in Egypt
6We have sinned along with our fathers.
We have become guilty. We have acted wickedly.
7Our fathers in Egypt did not reflect on your wonders.
They did not remember your abundant mercies,
so they rebelled beside the sea, by the Red Sea.
God's Grace
8Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake,
to make his might known.
9Then he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up.
He caused them to go through the deep sea as if it were a desert.
10He saved them from the hand of the one who hated them.
He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11Then the waters covered their foes.
Not one of them remained.
12Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.
Rebellions in the Wilderness
13They quickly forgot his deeds.
They did not wait for his plan.
14Because they were filled with craving in the wilderness,
they challenged God in the wasteland.
15So he gave them what they asked for,
but he made them sick so they wasted away.
16Then they grew jealous of Moses in the camp
and of Aaron, who was holy to the Lord.
17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan,
and it closed over the followers of Abiram.
18Then fire burned up their followers.
Flames consumed the wicked.
19They made a calf at Horeb,
and they bowed down to a thing cast from metal.
20So they exchanged their Glory for a model of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot the God who saved them
by doing great things in Egypt,
22wonders in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds beside the Red Sea.
God's Grace
23So he said he would destroy them.
But Moses, his chosen one, stood between God and the people
to turn aside his wrath, so it did not destroy them.
More Rebellions in the Wilderness
24Then they refused the pleasant land.
They did not believe his word.
25They grumbled in their tents.
They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26So he lifted up his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27and make their descendants fall among the nations,
and he would scatter them throughout the lands.
28Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and they ate sacrifices offered to dead gods.
29They provoked the Lord by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
30But Phinehas stood up and interceded for them,
and the plague was restrained.
31So this was credited to him as righteousness
for generation after generation, to eternity.
32Again by the waters of Meribah they provoked the Lord,
and trouble came on Moses because of them.
33Because they rebelled against his Spirit,[]
Moses spoke recklessly with his lips.
Rebellion Continues in the Land
34They did not destroy the peoples
as the Lord had commanded them,
35but they mixed with the nations,
and they learned to do what the nations did.
36They also served their idols,
and the idols became a snare for them.
37They also sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
So the land was polluted by their children's blood,
39and they made themselves unclean by what they did.
They prostituted themselves by their actions.
The Judgment
40Therefore the Lord burned with anger against his people,
and he loathed the people who belonged to him.
41So he handed them over to the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42Then their enemies oppressed them,
and they had to submit to their power.
43Many times he delivered them,
but they deliberately rebelled,
and they sank down in their guilt.
God's Grace
44But he looked on them in their distress when he heard their outcry.
45So for their sake he remembered his covenant.
Because of his great mercy he changed his course.
46Then he caused all their captors to have pity on them.
Closing Prayer
47Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations,
so we give thanks to your holy name and praise you confidently.
Closing Doxology
48Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity,
and all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord!
BOOK V: PSALMS 107-150
Psalm 107
He Redeemed Them From Trouble
Invocation to Give Thanks
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the Lord say this,
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3those he gathered from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.[]
First Crisis: The Wilderness
4They wandered in the wilderness, in the wasteland.
They did not find the way to a city where they could live.
5They were hungry and also thirsty,
so their lives were draining away.
Refrain
6Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He delivered them from their troubles.
7He led them by a straight way to come to a city where they could live.
8Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people,[]
9because he satisfies the desire of the thirsty,
and he fills the desire of the hungry with good things.
Second Crisis: Imprisonment
10They were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death,
prisoners, bound in misery and chains,
11because they had rebelled against the words of God,
and they despised the plan of the Most High.
12So he broke their hearts with hard labor.
They stumbled, and there was no helper.
Refrain
13Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He saved them from their troubles.
14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and he tore off their chains.
15Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people,
16because he shatters bronze doors,
and he cuts through iron bars.
Third Crisis: Rebellion
17They became fools through their rebellious way,
and they brought affliction on themselves by their guilt.
18They lost their appetite for food,
so they approached the gates of death.
Refrain
19Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He saved them from their troubles.
20He sent his word and healed them.
He rescued them from the pits that trapped them.
21Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people,
22so let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell about his works with a joyful shout.
Fourth Crisis: On the Sea
23They went down to the sea in ships.
They conducted trade on many waters.
24They saw the deeds of the Lord
and his wonders on the deep.
25For he spoke and stirred up a violent storm,
which produced large waves.
26They were raised up to the sky.
They sank down into the depths.
In their danger their courage melted.
27They reeled and staggered like a drunk.
All their skill disappeared.
Refrain
28Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He brought them out of their troubles.
29He calmed the storm. Its waves were hushed.
30They were glad when it grew quiet,
and he guided them to the port they desired.
31Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people.
32Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the session of the elders.
Curses and Blessings
33He turned rivers into a wilderness
and flowing springs into thirsty ground.
34He turns fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived in it.
35He turned the wilderness into pools of water
and the desert into flowing springs.
36Then he let the hungry live there,
and they founded a city where they could live.
37Then they sowed fields, and they planted vineyards,
which produced abundant fruit.
38Then he blessed them, so they increased greatly in number.
He did not let their herds of cattle decrease.
39But then their numbers decreased,
and they were humbled by oppression, disaster, and sorrow.
40He who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in confusion
where there was no road.
41But he lifted up the needy out of affliction
and made their families like a flock.
42The upright see and rejoice,
but all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Application: Be Wise
43Whoever is wise, let him keep these things.
Let them take to heart the mercies of the Lord.
Psalm 108
My Heart Is Steadfast
A song. A psalm by David.
David's Confident Praise
1My heart is steadfast, O God.
I will sing and I will make music.
Indeed, I will sing with all my being.[]
2Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3I will give you thanks among the peoples, Lord,
and I will make music to you among the nations.[]
4because your great mercy reaches above the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
David's Prayer
5Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
6So that the ones you love may be rescued,
bring salvation by your right hand and answer me.
David's Confidence in God's Help
7God has spoken in his holiness.[]
I will triumph. I will distribute Shechem,
and I will measure off the Valley of Succoth.
8Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin. On Edom I toss my sandal.
I shout aloud over Philistia.[]
10Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us?
Is it not you, O God, who no longer go out with our armies?
12Give us help against the foe,
for human help is worthless.
13In God we will do mighty deeds.
He is the one who will trample our foes.
Psalm 109
Deceitful Men Have Opened Their Mouths
For the choir director. By David. A psalm.
The Problem and the Prayer
1O God whom I praise, do not be silent,
2because they have opened wicked, deceitful mouths against me.
They have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3They surround me with hateful words.
They attack me without cause.
4In return for my love they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.[]
5They repay me with evil for good,
with hatred for my love.
The Curse
6Appoint an evil one to testify against him,
and let an accuser[] stand at his right hand.
7When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be sin.
8Let his days be few.
Let another take his office.
9Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10Let his children always wander and beg.
Let them seek food far from their ruined homes.[]
11Let a creditor confiscate all he has.
Let strangers plunder everything he worked for.
12Let there be no one to extend mercy to him.
Let there be no one to show favor to his fatherless children.
13Let his descendants be cut off.
In the next generation let their name be blotted out.
14Let the guilt of his fathers be remembered before the Lord.
Let the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15Let their sins remain before the Lord continually,
and let the memory of these people be cut off from the earth.
16Because he did not remember to show mercy,
but he pursued the poor man and the needy
and the brokenhearted to put them to death.
17Since he loved cursing, so let it fall on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18Since he wore cursing as his clothing,
let it enter into his stomach like water
and into his bones like oil.
19Let it be like a garment wrapped around him,
like a belt tied around him forever.
20May the Lord do all this to my accusers
and to those who speak evil against my life.
Prayer for Help
21But you, Lord God, deal with me for the sake of your name.
Because of the goodness of your mercy, deliver me.
22For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded[] within me.
23Like a shadow after it lengthens, I go away.
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees give way from fasting,
and my flesh has become lean, without fat.
25But I—I am scorned by them.
They see me. They shake their heads.
26Help me, O Lord my God.
Save me according to your mercy.
27Let them know that this is your hand.
You, O Lord, have done it.
28They may curse, but you will bless.
They rose up, but they will be put to shame.
Then your servant will rejoice.
29My accusers will be dressed with disgrace.
Their shame will wrap around them like a robe.
Closing Praise
30With my mouth I will keep on thanking the Lord.
In the midst of many people I will praise him.
31For the Lord stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save his life from those who condemn him.
Psalm 110
The Lord's Decree to My Lord
By David. A psalm.
The First Decree of the Lord
1The decree of the Lord to my lord:[]
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies
a footstool under your feet.”
Description of King Messiah's Rule
2The Lord will stretch out your strong scepter from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies.
3Your people will be willing on the day of your power.
In majesty of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,
the dew of your youth will be yours.[]
The Second Decree of the Lord
4The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever, in the manner of Melchizedek.”
Description of King Messiah's Rule
5The Lord is at your right hand.
He will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6He will judge the nations.
He will fill valleys with corpses.[]
He will crush heads over the wide world.[]
7He will drink from a stream beside the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Psalm 111
God's Works and God's Word
Opening Praise
1Praise the Lord![]
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
God's Works
2Great are the deeds of the Lord.
They are studied by all who delight in them.
3Glorious and majestic is his work,
and his righteousness stands forever.
4He has set up a memorial to his wonders.
Gracious and compassionate is the Lord.
5He gives food to those who fear him.
He remembers his covenant forever.
6He has declared the power of his deeds to his people,
to give them the nations as their possession.
7The works of his hands are truth and justice.
God's Word
All his precepts are trustworthy,
8steadfast forever and ever,
done in truth and uprightness.
9He sent redemption for his people.
He commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning[] of wisdom.
All who do his precepts have good understanding.
Closing Praise
His praise stands forever.
Psalm 112
The Man Who Fears the Lord
1Praise the Lord![]
How blessed is a man who fears the Lord.
In his commands he delights greatly.
2His descendants will be mighty in the land.
The circle of the upright will be blessed.
3Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness stands forever.
4In darkness, light dawns for the upright.
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5Good things will come to the man
who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his business with justice.
6Surely he will never fall.
The righteous will be remembered forever.
7He will not fear bad news.
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8His heart is secure.
He will have no fear, until he looks in triumph on his foes.
9He scatters seed; he gives to the poor.
His righteousness stands forever.
His horn[] will be lifted high in glory.
The End of the Wicked
10The wicked person will see and be frustrated.
He will gnash his teeth and melt away.
The desire of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 113
The Mighty Deliverer
Invitation to Praise
1Praise the Lord![]
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
2Let the name of the Lord be blessed, from now to eternity.
3From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Basis for Praise
4High above all the nations is the Lord.
His glory towers above the heavens.
5Who is like the Lord our God?
He is seated on high.
6He bends down to look at the heavens and at the earth.
7He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the garbage pile
8to seat them with nobles,
with the nobles of his people.
9He is the one who settles the barren woman in her home
as a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord![]
Psalm 114
When Israel Came Out of Egypt
1When Israel came out of Egypt
and the house of Jacob from a people with a strange language,
2Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel became his kingdom.
3The sea saw and fled.
The Jordan turned back.
4The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5What happened, O sea, that you fled,
O Jordan, that you turned back,
6O mountains, that you skipped like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
7Tremble in the presence of the Lord, O earth.
Tremble in the presence of the God of Jacob.
8He turned the rock into a pool of water.
He turned flint into springs of water.
Psalm 115
Not to Us
To God Alone Be Glory
1Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory,
because of your mercy,
because of your truth.
No Glory in Idols
2Why should the nations say,
“So where is their God now?”
3In fact, our God is in the heavens.
He does everything that pleases him.
4Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5They have a mouth, but they do not speak.
They have eyes, but they do not see.
6They have ears, but they do not hear.
They have a nose, but they do not smell.
7Their hands—they do not even feel.
Their feet—they do not even walk around.
They do not even make a sound with their throats.
8Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
Trust in the Lord
9Israel, trust in the Lord
—he is their help and their shield.
10House of Aaron, trust in the Lord
—he is their help and their shield.
11You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord
—he is their help and their shield.
12The Lord remembers us. He will bless.
He will bless the house of Israel.
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13He will bless those who fear the Lord
—the small with the great.
14May the Lord add blessings to you,
to you and to your children.
15May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Serve the Lord
16The heavens are heavens for the Lord,
but the earth he gave to the children of Adam.
17It is not the dead who praise the Lord,[]
nor any of those who go down to silence,
18but we are the ones who bless the Lord,[]
from now to eternity.
Praise the Lord![]
Psalm 116
Deliverance From Death
Overview
1I love the Lord, because he hears my voice.
He hears my cry for mercy.
2Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call to him all my days.
3The ropes of death entangled me.
The walls of the grave hemmed me in.[]
I found distress and sorrow.
4Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Ah, Lord, please save my life!”
5The Lord is gracious and righteous,
and our God is compassionate.
6The Lord protects the inexperienced.[]
In my weakness he saves me too.
Past Deliverance
7Return, my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has accomplished his purpose for you.
8Indeed, you have delivered my soul from death,
my eye from weeping, my foot from stumbling,
9so that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
10I believed. Therefore I have spoken:
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11In my haste I said:
“All people are deceptive.”
Future Devotion
12How can I repay the Lord for all his benefits to me?
13I will lift up the cup of salvation,
and I will call on[] the name of the Lord.
14I will fulfill my vows to the Lord,
now in the presence of all his people.
15Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his favored ones.
16Ah, Lord, truly I am your servant.
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You opened my chains.
17To you I will sacrifice a thank offering,
and I will call on the name of the Lord.
18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
here in the presence of all his people,
19in the courtyards of the house of the Lord,
in the middle of Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord
1Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Worship him, every race of people.[]
2For his mercy overwhelms us,
and the faithfulness[] of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 118
The Stone the Builders Rejected
Introduction
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
2Let Israel say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.
3Let the house of Aaron say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.
4Let those who fear the Lord say now: Yes, his mercy endures forever.
The Messiah's Trust During Distress
5Under pressure I cried to the Lord.[]
The Lord answered me.
He set me in a wide-open space.
6The Lord is with me.
I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
7The Lord, who is with me, is my helper,
so I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people.
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in human benefactors.[]
10All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.[]
11They surrounded me, yes they surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.
12They surrounded me like bees,
but they were extinguished as quickly as a fire of thorns.
In the name of the Lord I cut them off.
13You pushed me hard to make me fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Messiah's Joy in Victory
14My strength and song is the Lord,
and he has become salvation for me.
15Loud shouts of victory are heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord has done a mighty deed!
16The right hand of the Lord is lifted high!
The right hand of the Lord has done a mighty deed!”
17I will not die. No, I will live,
and I will proclaim the works of the Lord.
18The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not handed me over to death.
19Open for me the gates of righteousness.
I will enter them. I will give thanks to the Lord.
20This is the gate to the Lord.
The righteous enter it.
21I will give you thanks,
because you answered me,
and you have become salvation for me.
The Joy in Victory of Messiah's Followers
22The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.[]
23This is from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25O Lord, please save us now.[]
O Lord, grant us success.
26Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27The Lord is God,
and he makes light shine on us.
Bind the festival with branches as far as the horns of the altar.[]
28You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God, and I will exalt you.
Conclusion
29Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Psalm 119
The Great Psalm on the Law of the Lord[]
Aleph: Blessed Are the Blameless
1How blessed are those who are blameless in their way,
who walk in the law[] of the Lord.
2How blessed are those who keep[] his testimonies.
With all their heart they seek him.
3Indeed, they do no wrong.
They walk in his ways.
4You have commanded that your precepts[] be kept completely.
5If only my ways were unwavering in keeping your statutes![]
6Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.
7I will thank you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous judgments.[]
8I will keep your statutes.
Do not abandon me completely.
Bet: Your Word Is Hidden in My Heart
9How can a young man keep his path pure?
By guarding it with your words.[]
10With all my heart I seek you.
Do not let me stray from your commands.
11I have hidden your sayings[] in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12Blessed are you, O Lord!
Teach me your statutes.
13With my lips I tell about all the judgments
that come from your mouth.
14I rejoice in the way that is taught by your testimonies
as much as I delight in all riches.
15I will meditate on your precepts,
and I will consider your paths.
16In your statutes I delight.
I will not forget your words.
Gimel: Open My Eyes
17Reward your servant.
Then I will live, and I will keep your words.
18Uncover my eyes, and I will behold wonders from your law.
19I am an alien on earth.
Do not hide your commandments from me.
20My soul is overwhelmed by desire for your judgments at all times.
21You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed,
Those who stray from your commandments.
22Remove scorn and contempt from me,
for I guard your testimonies.
23Though officials sit together and speak against me,
your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24Yes, your testimonies are my delights.
They are my advisors.
Dalet: A Changed Heart
25My soul[] is stuck in the dust.
Revive my life according to your words.
26I told you about my ways and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes.
27Make me understand the meaning of your precepts.
Then I will meditate on your wonders.
28My soul melts with sorrow.
By your words, make me stand firm.
29Turn me away from false ways,
and be gracious to me through your law.
30I have chosen the way of truth.
I accept[] your judgments.
31I cling to your testimonies, O Lord.
Do not let me be put to shame.
32I run the way of your commandments,
for you have strengthened my heart.[]
He: That You May Be Feared
33Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.
Then I will guard it to the end.
34Give me understanding, and I will guard your law.
I will keep it with all my heart.
35Make me walk on the path of your commandments,
for I take pleasure in it.
36Direct my heart toward your testimonies
and not toward material gain.
37Keep my eyes from looking at worthless things.
Give me life according to your ways.[]
38Confirm your sayings to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39Take away my disgrace which I dread,
for your judgments are good.
40How I long for your precepts!
Give me life in your righteousness.
Vav: Speak Before Kings
41So let your mercies come to me, O Lord,
and let your salvation come according to your sayings.
42Then I will give an answer to those who insult me,
because I trust in your words.
43But do not tear away the word of truth from my mouth,
because I wait confidently for your judgments.
44Then I will continually keep your law forever and ever.
45Then I will walk around freely,
because I have sought your precepts.
46Then I will speak of your testimonies before kings,
and I will not be put to shame.
47For I delight in your commandments, which I love.
48I lift up my hands to your commandments, which I love,
and I meditate on your statutes.
Zayin: Comfort in Suffering
49Remember your word to your servant,
because you have given me hope.
50This is my comfort in my suffering:
that your saying gives me life.
51The arrogant mock me constantly,
but I do not fall away from your law.
52I remember your judgments from of old, Lord,
and I comfort myself with them.
53Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who forsake your laws.
54Your statutes are songs for me in the house where I am staying.
55I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep your laws.
56This I have done: I guard your precepts.
Het: I Will Not Forget
57You are my portion, O Lord.
I said I would keep your words.
58I have sought your favor with all my heart.
Be gracious to me according to your sayings.
59I have considered my ways,[]
and I have turned my feet to your testimonies.
60I will hurry. I will not delay.
I will keep your commandments.
61The ropes of the wicked bind me,
but I do not forget your law.
62At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous judgments.
63I am a companion to all who fear you,
that is, to all who keep your precepts.
64Your mercy, Lord, fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes.
Tet: It Is Good to Be Afflicted
65You have done good for your servant, O Lord,
according to your words.
66Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
67Before I was afflicted I strayed,
but now I keep your saying.
68You are good, and you do good.
Teach me your statutes.
69The arrogant have smeared me with lies.
I guard your precepts with all my heart.
70Their calloused hearts[] feel nothing,
but I delight in your law.
71It was good for me that I was afflicted,
so that I might learn your statutes.
72Better for me is the law from your mouth
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Yod: Those Who Fear You
73Your hands made me and established me.
Give me understanding.
Then I will learn your commandments.
74May those who fear you see me and rejoice,
because I wait confidently for your word.
75I know, Lord, that your judgments are righteous.
In faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76Please let your mercy be my comfort,
according to your saying to your servant.
77Let your abundant compassion come to me that I may live,
because your law is my delight.
78Let the arrogant be put to shame
because they have wronged me with lies.
As for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79Let those who fear you turn to me,
and those who know your testimonies.
80Let my heart be blameless regarding your statutes,
so that I may not be put to shame.
Kaph: A Wineskin in the Smoke
81My soul is worn out, as I wait for your salvation.
I wait confidently for your word.
82My eyes are worn out, as I look for your sayings.
I say, “When will you comfort me?”
83Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget your statutes.
84How many days does your servant have?
When will you inflict judgment on my persecutors?
85The arrogant dig pits for me.
This is against your laws.
86All your commandments are trustworthy.
The arrogant persecute me wrongfully. Help me.
87They almost put an end to me here on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88Give me life according to your mercy,
and I will obey the testimony from your mouth.
Lamed: Your Commands Have No Limits
89To eternity, O Lord, your word is fixed firmly in the heavens.
90For generation after generation, your faithfulness remains.
You established the earth, and it stands.
91As for your judgments, they stand to this day,
because all things are your servants.
92Unless your law had been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93To eternity I will not forget your precepts,
because by them you have given me life.
94I am yours. Save me,
because I have sought your precepts.
95The wicked are lying in wait for me to kill me,
but I will ponder your testimonies.
96I see a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment has no limits.
Mem: Sweeter Than Honey
97How I love your laws!
I meditate on them all day long.
98Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
because it is always with me.
99I have more wisdom than all my teachers,
because your testimonies are my meditation.
100I have more understanding than the elders,
because I guard your precepts.
101I have kept my feet off every evil path
in order to keep your words.
102I have not turned from your judgments,
because you yourself have instructed me.
103How sweet are your sayings to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104From your precepts I gain understanding,
therefore I hate every false road.
Nun: A Lamp for My Feet
105Your words are a lamp for my feet
and a light for my path.
106I have sworn and affirmed
that I will keep your righteous judgments.
107I have suffered much.
Lord, give me life according to your words.
108 Lord, please accept the willing praise from my mouth,
and teach me your judgments.
109I take my life in my hands constantly,
but I will not forget your law.
110The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not wandered from your precepts.
111I have inherited your testimonies forever.
Yes, they are the joy of my heart.
112I turn my heart to do your statutes,
forever, right to the end.
Samek: Get Away From Me, You Evildoers
113I hate the doubleminded, but I love your law.
114You are my hiding place and my shield.
I wait confidently for your word.
115“Get away from me, you evildoers,
so that I may guard the commandments of my God!”
116Sustain me according to your sayings, and I will live.
Do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117Hold me up, and I will be saved.
Then I will always have regard for your statutes.
118You reject all who stray from your statutes,
because their deceitfulness is built on a lie.[]
119You discard all the wicked of the earth like slag.
Therefore I love your testimonies.
120My flesh trembles because I am afraid of you,
because I fear your judgments.
'Ayin: It Is Time to Act, Lord
121I have carried out what is just and right.
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122Guarantee good for your servant.
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123My eyes wear out, as I watch
for your salvation and your righteousness.
124Deal with your servant according to your mercy,
and teach me your statutes.
125I am your servant. Give me discernment,
so that I may know your testimonies.
126 Lord, it is time to do something!
They have broken your laws.
127Because I love your commandments more than gold,
more than pure gold,
128because I value everything in all your precepts,
I hate every wrong road.
Pe: Streams of Tears
129Your testimonies are wonders.
That is why my soul guards them.
130The doorway to your words lets in light.
It gives understanding to the inexperienced.
131I open wide my mouth and I gasp,
because I long for your commandments.
132Turn to me and give me grace.
This is your judgment for those who love your name.[]
133Keep my footsteps steady by your sayings,
and do not let any evil rule over me.
134Redeem me from oppressive people,
and I will keep your precepts.
135Make your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136Streams of water run down from my eyes,
because they do not keep your laws.
Tsade: My Zeal for the Word
137You are righteous, O Lord,
and your judgments are right.
138You have commanded your testimonies.
They are righteous and very trustworthy.
139My zeal wears me out,
because my foes forget your words.
140Your saying has been thoroughly refined,
and your servant loves it.
141I am insignificant and despised,
but I do not forget your precepts.
142Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is truth.
143Distress and anguish have found me,
but your commandments are my delights.
144Your testimonies are right forever.
Give me understanding, and I will live.
Qoph: I Will Obey
145I call with all my heart.
Answer me, O Lord.
I will guard your statutes.
146I call to you. Save me,
and I will keep your testimonies.
147I get up before dawn, and I cry for help.
I wait confidently for your word.
148My eyes look forward to the night watches
when I can meditate on your sayings.
149Hear my voice according to your mercy.
Lord, give me life based on your judgments.
150Those who pursue evil plans are near,
but they are far from your law.
151You are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are truth.
152Long ago I knew from your testimonies
that you established them to endure forever.
Resh: I Have Not Forgotten
153See my affliction and deliver me,
because I have not forgotten your law.
154Argue my case and redeem me.
Give me life according to your saying.
155Salvation is far away from the wicked,
because they do not pursue your statutes.
156Your compassions are many, O Lord.
Give me life according to your judgments.
157Many are my persecutors and my foes,
but I have not turned from your testimonies.
158I look at the hypocrites and I loathe them,
because they do not keep your saying.
159See how I love your precepts.
Lord, according to your mercy give me life.
160The sum of your word is truth.
All your righteous judgment is eternal.
Sin/Shin: I Wait for Salvation
161Officials persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.
162I rejoice over your sayings,
like one who finds much plunder.
163I hate and detest falsehood,
but I love your law.
164Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous judgments.
165Great peace belongs to those who love your law,
and nothing is a stumbling block for them.
166I wait for your salvation, O Lord,
and I obey your commandments.
167My soul keeps your testimonies.
I love them greatly.
168I keep your precepts and your testimonies,
because all my ways are before you.
Tav: Seek Your Servant
169May my loud cry come before you, Lord.
Give me understanding through your word.
170May my plea for mercy come before you.
Deliver me according to your saying.
171May my lips overflow with praise,
because you teach me your statutes.
172May my tongue sing of your saying,
because all your commandments are righteousness.
173May your hand be ready to help me,
because I have chosen your precepts.
174I long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my delight.
175Let my soul live and praise you,
and may your judgments help me.
176I have strayed like a perishing sheep.
Seek your servant,
because I have not forgotten your commandments.
Psalm 120
A Man of Peace
A song of the ascents.[]
1In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Lord, save my life from lying lips.
Save me from deceitful tongues.
3What will he give to you?
What more will he add to you, you deceitful tongue?
4A warrior's sharpened arrows with hot coals of the broom tree.
5Woe to me that I am an alien in Meshek,
that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6For too long my soul[] has dwelt with those who hate peace.
7I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 121
Help From the Lord
A song for the ascents.
Help From the Lord, Israel's Watchman
1I lift up my eyes to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
2My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot stumble.
He who watches over you will not slumber.
4Yes, he who watches over Israel will not slumber.
He will not sleep.
5The Lord watches over you.
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun will not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will watch to keep you from all harm.[]
He will watch over your life.[]
8The Lord will watch over your going and your coming
from now to eternity.
Psalm 122
The Peace of Jerusalem
A song of the ascents. By David.
The Peace of Jerusalem
1I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem is a well-built city that is firmly joined together,[]
4a city to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord,[]
as a testimony to Israel,
to give praise to the name of the Lord.
5That is where the thrones for judgment sit,
the thrones of the house of David.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you prosper.
7May there be peace within your fortifications,
prosperity within your citadels.”
8For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
now I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek good for you.
Psalm 123
The Eyes of a Servant
A song of the ascents.
1To you I lift up my eyes,
to you who are seated in heaven.
2Indeed, as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he shows us his grace.
3Show grace to us, O Lord.
Show grace to us,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4Our souls have had their fill of the scorn of the smug
and of the contempt of the arrogant.
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of the ascents. By David.
1Unless it was the Lord who was for us,
—let Israel say—
2unless it was the Lord who was for us
when people[] rose against us,
3they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger burned against us.
4Then the waters would have submerged us.
The torrent would have swept our lives away.
5Then the wild waters would have swept us away.
6Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be prey for their teeth.
7We have escaped with our lives
like a bird out of the fowlers' snare.
The snare has been broken, and we have escaped.
8Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
Mount Zion Cannot Be Shaken
A song of the ascents.
Those Who Trust in the Lord Cannot Be Shaken
1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken. It will stand forever.
2As Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains,
so the Lord surrounds his people from now to eternity.
3No, the scepter of wickedness will not rest
on the land assigned to the righteous,
so that the righteous do not reach out their hands toward evil.
4Do good, O Lord, for the good
and for those who are upright in their hearts.
5But those who turn to their crooked ways—
the Lord will send them away with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
Psalm 126
The Return of the Captives
A song of the ascents.
1When the Lord restored the captives to Zion,[] we were like dreamers.
2Then our mouths were filled with laughter,
and our tongues with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3The Lord has done great things for us.
We are glad.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the dry gulches of the Negev.
5Those who sow with weeping
will reap with joyful shouts.
6The one who walks along weeping, carrying a bag of seed to sow,
will come back again with joyful shouts, carrying his sheaves.
Psalm 127
The Lord Builds the House
A song of the ascents. By Solomon.
1If the Lord does not build the house,
it is useless for the builders to work hard over it.
If the Lord does not watch over the city,
it is useless for the watchman to stand guard.
2It is useless for you to get up early and to work late,
worrying about bread to eat,
because God grants sleep to the one he loves.[]
3Indeed, children are a heritage from the Lord.
The fruit of the womb is a reward from him.
4Sons born during one's youth are like arrows
in the hand of a warrior.
5How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they dispute with enemies at the city gate.[]
Psalm 128
A Blessed Family
A song of the ascents.
Promise
1How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
everyone who is walking in his ways.
2Yes, you will eat the food you worked for.
How blessed you are! It will go well for you!
3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the inner rooms of your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4Look! This is how blessed the man is who fears the Lord!
Prayer
5May the Lord bless you from Zion
so that you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, all the days of your life,
6and you see your children's children.
Peace be on Israel.
Psalm 129
No Blessing
A song of the ascents.
The Wicked Have Greatly Afflicted Me
1Greatly they have afflicted me from my youth
—let Israel say—
2greatly they have afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not been able to defeat me.
3On my back plowmen have plowed.
They made their furrows long.
The Wicked Will Be Suppressed by God
4The Lord is righteous.
He has cut the ropes of the wicked to pieces.
5Let all who hate Zion be ashamed and turned back.
6Let them be like grass on the roof,
which withers even before it is pulled up.
7The reaper cannot fill his hand with it.
The one who binds sheaves cannot fill his arms.
8May those who pass by never say,
“The blessing of the Lord be with you.
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 130
Out of the Depths
A song of the ascents.
1Out of the depths I have called to you, O Lord.
2Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to the sound of my cry for mercy.
3If you, Lord,[] kept a record of guilt,
O Lord, who could stand?
4But with you there is pardon,
so you are feared.
5I wait for the Lord. My soul waits,
and in his word I have put my hope.
6My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7Israel, wait confidently for the Lord,
because with the Lord there is mercy.
With him there is abundant redemption.
8So he himself will redeem Israel from all its guilt.
Psalm 131
My Heart Is Not Proud
A song of the ascents. By David.
Like a Satisfied Baby
1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,
and my eyes are not proud.
So I do not intrude into great matters
or into things too wonderful for me.
2Instead I have soothed and quieted my soul.
As a nursed[] child rests with its mother,
like a nursed child my soul rests with me.
3Wait confidently, O Israel, for the Lord
from now to eternity.
Psalm 132
Remember David and His Son
A song of the ascents.
David's Oath
1Remember for David's sake, O Lord, all his afflictions.
2Remember how he swore to the Lord.
He made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3“I will not enter my own house.[]
I will not get into my own bed.[]
4I will not allow my eyes to sleep
or my eyelids to slumber,
5until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Israel's Response
6Yes, we heard about it in Ephrathah.
We found it in the fields of Ja'ar.
7Let us go to his dwelling place.
Let us bow down at his footstool.
8Arise, O Lord, come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength.
9May your priests be clothed with righteousness.
May your favored ones shout for joy.
10For the sake of David your servant,
do not reject the face of your Anointed One.[]
The Lord's Oath
11The Lord swore to David
a truth from which he will not turn back:
“From the fruit of your body
I will place kings on your throne.
12If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I teach them,
then their sons will sit on your throne forever.”
13For the Lord has chosen Zion.
He has desired it for his dwelling.
14“This is my resting place forever.
Here I will live, for I have desired it.
15I will bless her greatly with food.
I will satisfy Zion's poor with bread.
16I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her favored ones will shout for joy.
17There I will make a horn shoot up for David.
I will set up a lamp for my Anointed One.
18I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but on him his crown will be beautiful.”
Psalm 133
Pleasant Unity
A song of the ascents. By David.
1Look, how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2It is like the precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes.
3It is like the dew from Hermon
running down on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord commands this blessing: life to eternity.
Psalm 134
The Pilgrims' Blessing
A song of the ascents.
The People
1Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord at night.
2Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary
and bless the Lord.
The Priests
3May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.
Psalm 135
Israel, Praise the Lord
Introduction
1Praise the Lord![]
Praise the name of the Lord.
Praise him, you servants of the Lord,
2who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
3Praise the Lord,[] for the Lord is good.
Make music to his name, for it is pleasant.
4Yes, the Lord chose Jacob for himself.
He chose Israel as his special treasure.
The Superiority of the Lord
5Yes, I know that the Lord is great.
Our Lord is greater than all gods.
6The Lord does whatever he pleases
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and in all the depths.
7He makes clouds rise from the end of the earth.
He sends lightning for the rainstorm.
He releases the wind from his storehouses.
8He is the one who struck down
the firstborn of Egypt, both men and animals.
9Egypt! He sent warning signs into your midst,
against Pharaoh and against all his officials.
10He is the one who struck down many nations.
He killed mighty kings:
11Sihon king of the Amorites,
and Og king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12He gave their land as a possession,
a possession to Israel, his people.
13 Lord, your name stands forever,
Lord, your reputation remains through all generations.
14For the Lord will judge in favor of his people.
He will have pity on his servants.
15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16They have a mouth, but they cannot speak.
They have eyes, but they cannot see.
17They have ears, but cannot hear.
There is not even any breath in their mouths.
18Those who make them will be like them.
So will all who trust in them.
Conclusion
19House of Israel, bless the Lord.
House of Aaron, bless the Lord.
20House of Levi, bless the Lord.
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21The Lord, who dwells in Jerusalem, will be blessed from Zion.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 136
His Mercy Endures Forever
Introduction
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
For his mercy endures forever.
2Give thanks to the God of Gods.
For his mercy endures forever.
3Give thanks to the Lord of Lords.
For his mercy endures forever.
His Creating Love
4To him who alone does great wonders—[]
For his mercy endures forever.
5To him who by his understanding made the heavens—
For his mercy endures forever.
6To him who spread out the earth on the waters—
For his mercy endures forever.
7To him who made the great lights,
For his mercy endures forever.
8the sun to rule by day,
For his mercy endures forever.
9the moon and stars to rule by night—
For his mercy endures forever.
His Redeeming Love
10To him who struck Egypt by killing their firstborn,
For his mercy endures forever.
11and brought Israel out from their midst,
For his mercy endures forever.
12with a mighty hand and outstretched arm—
For his mercy endures forever.
13To him who cut the Red Sea in two,
For his mercy endures forever.
14and brought Israel through the middle of it,
For his mercy endures forever.
15but brushed off Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea—
For his mercy endures forever.
16To him who made his people travel through the wilderness—
For his mercy endures forever.
17To him who struck down great kings,
For his mercy endures forever.
18and killed mighty kings,
For his mercy endures forever.
19Sihon king of the Amorites,
For his mercy endures forever.
20and Og king of Bashan,
For his mercy endures forever.
21and gave their land as a possession,
For his mercy endures forever.
22a possession to his servant Israel.
For his mercy endures forever.
His Continuing Love
23Who remembered us in our low condition,
For his mercy endures forever.
24and tore us out of the hands of our oppressors.
For his mercy endures forever.
25He gives food to all living creatures.[]
For his mercy endures forever.
26Give thanks to the God of the heavens.
For his mercy endures forever.
Psalm 137
Beside the Rivers of Babylon
Sorrow for Jerusalem
1Beside the rivers[] of Babylon,
there we sat, and, yes, we wept as we remembered Zion.
2There we hung up our lyres on the willows,
3because there our captors asked us for words of a song,
and our tormentors asked for a happy song:
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”
Zeal for Zion
4How can we sing a song of the Lord on foreign soil?
5If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget how to play music.[]
6May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my highest joy.
Zeal for God's Vengeance
7Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
against the descendants of Edom[] who said,
“Tear it down, tear it down to its foundations!”
8Daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
how blessed is the one who repays you
with the same deeds you did against us.
9How blessed is the one who seizes your children
and dashes them against the cliff.
Psalm 138
May The Kings Praise You
By David.
Thanks From a Grateful Heart
1I will thank you with all my heart.
Before the gods[] I will make music for you.
2I will bow down toward your holy temple.
I will give thanks to your name
because of your mercy and because of your truth.
Yes, you made your word even greater than your name.[]
3By day I called, and you answered me.
You have made my soul strong.
4All the kings of the earth will thank you, Lord,
when they have heard the message from your mouth.
5Then they will sing about the ways of the Lord,
because the glory of the Lord is great.
6Indeed the Lord is exalted, but he sees the lowly,
and he recognizes the proud from a distance.
7If I walk surrounded by danger, you keep me alive
in spite of the anger of my enemies.
You stretch out your hand.
You save me with your right hand.
8The Lord will fulfill his purpose[] for me.
Lord, your mercy endures forever.
Do not let go of the works[] of your hands.
Psalm 139
God's Attributes—Too Wonderful for Me!
For the choir director. By David. A psalm.
God Is All-knowing
1 Lord, you have investigated me,
and you know.
2You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You understand my thoughts from far off.
3You keep track of when I travel and when I stay,[]
and you are familiar with all my ways.
4Before there is a word on my tongue
you, Lord, already know it completely.
5You put a fence behind me and in front of me,
and you have placed your hand on me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is too high—I cannot grasp it.
God Is Present Everywhere
7Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your Presence?[]
8If I go up to heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in hell—there you are!
9I rise on the wings of dawn.
I settle on the far side of the sea.
10Even there your hand guides me,
and your right hand holds on to me.
11And if I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light will become night around me,”
12then even the darkness will not be too dark for you.
The night will be as light as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
God Is Powerful and Good
13For you created my inner organs.[]
You wove me together in my mother's womb.
14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and my soul knows that very well.
15My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unfinished body.
In your book all of them were written.
Days were determined, before any of them existed.
17Your thoughts to me are so precious, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18If I would count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
God Is Holy
19If only you would slay the wicked, O God,
so that bloody men would depart from me,
20men who speak against you maliciously.
Your adversaries misuse your name.
21Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
and detest those who rise up against you?
22I absolutely hate them. To me they are enemies.
23Investigate me, God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my troubled thoughts.
24See if there is any way in me that causes pain,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140
Rescue Me From Evil Men
For the choir director. A psalm by David.
Plea for Deliverance
1Keep me safe, Lord, from the evil man.
Protect me from the violent man,
2who plans evil in his heart.
Every day they gather for battle.
3They sharpen their tongues like a snake.
The poison of vipers is under their lips. Interlude
4Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked.
Protect me from the violent man, who plans to trip my feet.
5The proud have hidden a snare for me, and ropes.[]
They have spread out a net along my route.
They have set traps for me. Interlude
Confidence
6I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my cry for mercy.
7O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you cover my head on the day for weapons.
8Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked.
Do not let their scheme succeed, when they rise up.[] Interlude
Plea for Justice
9May the trouble caused by their lips
fall on the heads of those who surround me.
10Let burning coals fall on them.
Cause them to fall into the fire,
or into pits from which they will never rise.
11Do not let the slanderer[] be established in the land.
As for the man of violence—
may evil hunt him and beat him down.
Confidence
12I know that the Lord will provide justice for the oppressed,
judgment for the poor.
13Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name.
The upright will live in your presence.
Psalm 141
Guard My Lips and Heart
A psalm by David.
Accept My Prayer
1 Lord, I call to you. Hurry to me.
Turn your ear toward my voice when I call to you.
2May my prayer linger before you like incense,
the lifting up of my hands like an evening offering.
Guard My Heart and Mouth
3Set a guard over my mouth, Lord.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4Do not let my heart turn toward anything evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who do evil.
Let me not taste their delicacies.
Correct Me
5Let a righteous man strike me—it is mercy.
Let him rebuke me—it is lotion[] on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
Reject the Wicked
But my prayer is still against their evil deeds.
6Their rulers will be thrown down by the sides of the cliff,
and they will hear that my words were pleasant.
7They will say,[] “As one splits and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”
Closing Plea
8But my eyes look to you, Lord God.[]
In you I take refuge. Do not take away my life.
9Keep me from the snares they have set for me,
from the traps of the evildoers.
10Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.
Psalm 142
When My Spirit Grows Faint
A maskil[] by David. When he was in the cave.[] A prayer.
A Prayer for the Weary
1With my voice I cry out to the Lord.
With my voice I call to the Lord for mercy.
2I pour out my complaint before him.
I tell my distress before him.
3When my spirit grows faint within me,
you are the one who knows my course.
On the path where I walk they have hidden a snare for me.
4Look to my right and see.
There is no one who recognizes me.
There is no escape for me.
No one cares about my life.
5I cry out to you, Lord.
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6Pay attention to my loud cry,
because I am very weak.
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
because they are too strong for me.
7Set me free from my prison,
so I can give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous will gather around me,
because you have accomplished your purpose for me.
Psalm 143
Do Not Bring Your Servant Into Judgment
A psalm by David.
Prayer for Forgiveness
1 Lord, hear my prayer.
Give ear to my cry for mercy.
In your faithfulness, answer me in your righteousness.
2Do not bring charges against your servant,
because no one living can be righteous before you.
The Problem
3For the enemy pursues my soul.
He crushes my life to the ground.
He makes me dwell in dark places like those long dead,
4so my spirit grows faint inside me.
Within me my heart is devastated.
The Reason for Hope
5I remember the days of long ago.
I meditate on all your works,
and I consider what your hands have done.
6I spread out my hands to you.
My soul thirsts for you like a weary land. Interlude
The Prayer
7Hurry, answer me, Lord.
My spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8Let me hear about your mercy in the morning,
for I have put my trust in you.
Teach me the way that I should go,
for I lift up my soul to you.
9Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11For the sake of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12In your mercy, wipe out my enemies,
and destroy all who threaten my life,
for I am your servant.
Psalm 144
A Prayer for the Nation
By David.
Praise
1Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war.
2He shows me mercy.
He is my stronghold, my high fortress.
He is my deliverer and my shield,
so I take refuge in him.
He subdues peoples[] under me.
Need
3 Lord, what is man that you notice him,
the son of man that you consider him?
4Man is like a breath.[]
His days are like a passing shadow.
Petition
5 Lord, rip open your heavens and come down.
Touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6Send out lightning and scatter them.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.
7Reach down your hand from on high.
Rescue me and snatch me from the mighty waters,
from the hand of foreigners 8whose mouths speak lies,
who raise their right hands to a false oath.[]
Praise
9God, I will sing a new song to you.
On the ten-stringed harp I will make music to you,
10to you who gives victory to kings,
to you who delivers David his servant from the evil sword.
Petition
11Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of foreigners
whose mouths speak lies,
who raise their right hands to a false oath.
The Results of Victory
12Then our sons in their youth will be like full-grown plants.
Our daughters will be like corner pillars carved to decorate a palace.
13Our storehouses will be filled with produce of every kind.
Our flocks will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our countryside.
14Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
There will be no breaking through our walls,
no exile into captivity,
no cry of distress in our city squares.
15How blessed are the people for whom this is so.
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
Psalm 145
The Lord Is Worthy of Praise
A song of praise. By David.
Praise
1I will exalt you, my God, the King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
2Every day I will bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Proclamation of His Greatness
3Great is the Lord and worthy of great praise,
and there are no limits to the extent of his greatness.
Praise
4One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and they will declare your mighty acts.
5I will contemplate the glorious splendor of your majesty
and the accounts of your wonderful works.
6Then they will speak about the power of your awesome works,
and I will tell about your great deeds.
7They will pour forth the memory of your abundant goodness
and sing loudly about your righteousness.
Proclamation of His Grace
8The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in mercy.
9The Lord is good to all.
His compassion extends over all he has made.
Praise
10Everyone you have made will thank you, O Lord,
and the ones you favor will bless you.
11They will tell about the glory of your kingdom,
and they will speak about your might,
12to make known his might to the children of Adam,
to make known the glorious splendor of his kingdom.
Proclamation of His Kingdom
13Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is faithful to all his words
and merciful toward all he has made.[]
14The Lord lifts up all who fall,
and he supports all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all look eagerly to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16You open your hand,
and you satisfy the desire of every living thing.[]
17The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and merciful toward all that he has made.
18The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19He grants the desire of those who fear him.
He hears their cry and saves them.
20The Lord watches over all who love him,
but he will destroy all the wicked.
Praise
21My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord.
Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 146
Praise Him for Protection
1Praise the Lord![]
A Lifetime of Praise
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will make music to my God as long as I exist.
No Help in Humans
3Do not trust in human helpers,[]
in a mortal man who cannot save you.
4His spirit departs.
He returns to the ground he came from.
On that day, his plans have perished.
Help in the Lord
5Blessed is everyone who has the God of Jacob as his help.
His hope is in the Lord his God,
6the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything which is in them.
He is the one who stays faithful forever.
7He obtains justice for the oppressed.
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases prisoners.
8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.
The Lord loves the righteous.
9The Lord watches over the aliens.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but he turns aside the way of the wicked.
An Eternity for Praise
10The Lord reigns forever.
Your God, O Zion, rules for all generations.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 147
Praise the Lord for Providing for His People
The Creator Restores His People
1Praise the Lord.[]
How good it is to make music to our God.
Yes, praise is pleasant and fitting!
2The one who builds Jerusalem is the Lord.
He assembles the outcasts of Israel.
3He is the one who heals the brokenhearted
and who bandages their wounds.
4He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by name.
5Great is our Lord and mighty in power.
To his understanding there is no limit.
6The one who sustains the humble is the Lord.
He pushes the wicked down to the ground.
The Creator Loves His People
7Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving.
Make music to our God on the lyre.
8He is the one who covers the sky with clouds.
He determines rain for the earth.
He makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9He gives their food to the cattle
and to the young ravens when they call.
10He is not impressed by the strength of a horse.
He is not pleased with the legs of a man.
11The Lord is pleased with those who fear him,
those who wait for his mercy.
The Creator Reveals His Word
12Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion,
13because he strengthens the bars on your gates.
He blesses your children within you.
14He brings peace to your borders.
He satisfies you with the best wheat.
15He sends his message to the earth.
His word runs swiftly.
16He gives snow like wool.
He scatters frost like ashes.
17He sends his hail like pieces of bread.
Who can stand in the face of his cold winds?
18He sends his word, and the ice melts.
He breathes on the snow.[] The waters flow.[]
19He reveals his words to Jacob,
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
20He has not done this for any other nation.
They do not know his judgments.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 148
Praise Him, All Creation
1Praise the Lord.[]
Praise From the Heavens
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heights.
2Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his armies.
3Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you bright stars.
4Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters which are above the heavens.
5Let them praise the name of the Lord,
because he commanded, and they were created.
6He caused them to stand forever and ever.
He gave a decree, and it will not pass away.
Praise From the Earth
7Praise the Lord from the earth,
great sea creatures and all the depths,
8fire and hail, snow and fog,
storm winds that obey his word,
9mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10wild animals and all cattle,
crawling creatures and flying birds,
11kings of the earth and all peoples,
officials and all judges on earth,
12young men and also young women,
old people with young people.
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14He has raised up a horn[] for his people—
the praise of all his favored ones—
for the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 149
Praise Him, All His People
1Praise the Lord.[]
The Church Triumphant
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praise in the congregation of his favored ones.
2Let Israel rejoice in its Maker.
Let the people of Zion celebrate for their King.
3Let them praise his name with dancing.
With hand drum and lyre let them make music to him.
4For the Lord is pleased with his people.
He adorns the humble with salvation.
5Let those he favors rejoice in honor.
Let them shout for joy on their beds.
The Church Militant
6May high praise of God be in their throats
and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
8to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with iron shackles,
9to carry out the judgment written against them.
This is the glory of all his favored people.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord!
1Praise the Lord![]
Where?
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in the expanse that shows his might.
Why?
2Praise him for his acts of power.
Praise him according to his abundant greatness.
How?
3Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn.
Praise him with the harp and the lyre.
4Praise him with hand drums and dancing.
Praise him with the strings and the flute.
5Praise him with the sounding cymbals.
Praise him with loud cymbals.
Who?
6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  • 73:0 Asaph was a temple musician associated with David. Psalms 73–83 are a collection by Asaph.
  • 73:2 Literally the verse reads I, almost my feet were stretched out, my steps were nearly poured out.
  • 73:7 The translation is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. The Greek reads guilt flows from their fat hearts.
  • 73:10 The meaning of this verse is not certain. Literally the Hebrew reads therefore his people turn to them, and they guzzle down waters in abundance.
  • 74:0 A maskil is perhaps a skillful psalm, a psalm for teaching, or a psalm which gives understanding.
  • 74:11 Literally the folds of your garment
  • 74:14 Leviathan is a sea monster with many heads. Here it seems to be a symbol of the power of the sea.
  • 75:0 This may be the name of the melody.
  • 75:4 The word used here is not the word for a musical horn (shofar) but the horn which is the weapon of an animal (qeren).
  • 76:6 Or war cry
  • 76:10 Or your wrath against man
  • 77:0 This may refer to a tune or musical style associated with Jeduthun, a musician who was a contemporary of David.
  • 77:10 The meaning of this line is cryptic. The Hebrew seems to say: This is my wounding, the changing (or the years) of the right hand of the Most High.
  • 77:11 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used instead of the full form, Yahweh.
  • 78:33 Or he made their days vanish like vapor
  • 78:41 Or caused pain to. The word occurs only once in the Old Testament. God does not, of course, feel literal physical pain, but this is a dramatic way of describing his sorrow over the consequences of human sin.
  • 78:49 Literally a delegation of messengers of evils. This could refer to angels like the angel of death in the tenth plague, or perhaps the plagues themselves were “evil messengers.”
  • 78:61 That is, the Ark of the Covenant
  • 79:7 Pasture land here is figurative for their homeland.
  • 80:0 This may be the name of the tune.
  • 80:0 Or “Lilies of the Testimony”
  • 80:5 Literally by a third [of a bath?].
  • 80:11 Very likely, the Mediterranean
  • 80:11 The Euphrates
  • 80:13 Or insects
  • 80:16 The Hebrew word translated like garbage is emended by some translations into a verb meaning they cut it down, but this seems unlikely because it would place the cutting down after the burning.
  • 80:17 Though this psalm has a concern for the northern kingdom of Israel, this verse seems to refer to the Davidic king. Faithful northerners still looked for the Messiah, who would come from Judah.
  • 81:0 Gittith means in the style of Gath. It may refer to music associated with one of the cities of that name or with a winepress.
  • 81:5 Or I heard a voice I did not know. This would refer to the voice of God, who speaks in the next section. In verse 6 the identification of the speaker, the Lord says, has been added for clarity.
  • 82:1 The term gods, which in Hebrew refers to mighty ones, may refer to heathen gods (which really are demons) or occasionally to angels or to rulers, who act as God's representatives. Verses 6 and 7 suggest that in this psalm it is the last of these options. Jesus makes use of this interpretation of this psalm in John 10:34.
  • 83:7 Also called Byblos
  • 83:8 The Moabites and Ammonites
  • 84:0 Gittith means in the style of Gath or perhaps it is a tune, “Winepress.”
  • 84:0 The Sons of Korah were a group of Levitical musicians, who apparently were descendants of the Korah who rebelled against Moses. In this section of Psalms, Psalms 84; 85; 87, and 88 were written by them.
  • 84:5 The words to Jerusalem are added for clarity.
  • 84:6 The main Hebrew reading is they make it a place of springs. The words they make it function as an impersonal passive equal to it is made a place of springs. Some manuscripts read he [God] makes it a place of springs.
  • 84:6 The translation pools follows an alternate reading of the Hebrew. The main Hebrew reading is blessings. Pools and blessings are a pun in Hebrew. The autumn rain is also called the early rain.
  • 84:9 Shield and Anointed One are references to Israel's king.
  • 86:2 Or I am loyal to you
  • 86:13 Or have delivered my life from the depths of the grave
  • 87:4 Rahab here is a name for Egypt, which is pictured as a sea monster.
  • 87:4 The words of them I say and in Zion are added to clarify the antecedents.
  • 88:0 Probably the name of the tune, “Suffering of Affliction”
  • 88:0 A maskil is a type of hymn. It means a song that makes one wise or a skillful song.
  • 89:3 The words The Lord said are added to clarify who is speaking.
  • 89:4 Retention of the literal term seed makes it clear that this refers to the Messianic line from the seed of Eve, through the seed of Abraham and the seed of David, to Christ the Messiah.
  • 89:8 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used instead of the full form, Yahweh.
  • 89:10 The name Rahab here is a personification of the sea as a monster.
  • 89:17 The Horn and the Shield here are names for the King descended from David.
  • 89:24 That is, his power
  • 89:50 A Hebrew variant is servant has.
  • 89:50 An emendation suggested by some translators is all the attacks of the peoples.
  • 91:14 The words the Lord says are added to make it clear who is speaking.
  • 92:10 Or you have made me as strong as an ox
  • 92:10 oil here is a perfumed lotion.
  • 93:3 The Hebrew word naharot usually refers to rivers but here seems to refer to the waves and currents of the sea.
  • 94:7 The short form of the divine name, Yah, is used instead of the long form, Yahweh. Also in verse 12.
  • 96:5 Or non-gods or mini-gods. The Hebrew word is a diminutive of either the word god or the word not.
  • 96:9 Or in holy garments
  • 96:9 Or tremble in his presence
  • 97:7 Or non-gods or mini-gods. The Hebrew word is a diminutive of either the word god or the word not.
  • 97:8 The daughters of Judah are the small towns around Jerusalem and their inhabitants.
  • 97:11 The translation follows some Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The main Hebrew reading is light is sown. The Hebrew words for sow and rise differ by only one letter.
  • 98:9 Or without prejudice
  • 99:4 The word Lord is added to clarify the shift from third to second person.
  • 100:3 A Hebrew variant reads and not we ourselves.
  • 100:4 In biblical language we bless God by praising his name.
  • 101:2 More literally I will walk around in my house with wholeness of heart
  • 101:3 Or devilish. The Hebrew word is belial, which means without restraint or without worth. In late Hebrew it became a name of Satan.
  • 101:3 The meaning of the line is uncertain. It seems to read I hate doing of apostasies.
  • 102:6 The exact identification of the birds is uncertain.
  • 102:18 The short form of the divine name, Yah, is used here instead of the full form, Yahweh.
  • 103:1 God blesses us by giving us gifts. We bless God by praising him.
  • 103:5 The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may mean your ornaments or soul, your jaw or mouth, or your old age. The Greek has your desires.
  • 104:4 Or angels
  • 104:8 Or the mountains went up; the valleys went down
  • 104:14 Or cultivate
  • 104:15 Literally sustains man's heart
  • 104:26 Leviathan refers to large creatures in the sea. Here, in the discussion of creation, it probably refers to whales.
  • 104:35 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 105:1 Or call on
  • 105:23 The Egyptians were descendants of Noah's son Ham (Genesis 10:6).
  • 105:28 The subject of the verb is supplied for clarity.
  • 105:31 The identity of the insects is uncertain. Lice was the traditional translation. Gnats, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are more recent suggestions. The requirement is that it be an insect that is on people and that is more than an annoyance.
  • 105:45 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 106:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 106:33 Or made his spirit bitter
  • 107:3 The translation follows the Targum. The main Hebrew reading is from the sea.
  • 107:8 Or all the children of Adam
  • 108:1 Literally glory
  • 108:3 The main Hebrew text divides the word for nations into two words to create the derogatory term non-peoples. This gives the connotation heathen nations.
  • 108:7 Or holy place
  • 108:9 It is possible that the speaker of these verses is God rather than David. See Psalm 60.
  • 109:4 Literally I am prayer
  • 109:6 The Hebrew noun is satan, which becomes the name of Satan.
  • 109:10 The Greek reads may they be driven from their ruined homes.
  • 109:22 The meaning of this verb is uncertain. It may mean flutter or beat wildly.
  • 110:1 The second lord in verse 1 is not one of the divine names that are usually rendered Lord or Lord. It is the common noun for lord. It does refer to Christ but as a description, not a title.
  • 110:3 Verse 3 is cryptic. The translation is quite literal.
  • 110:6 The translation combines the Hebrew and Greek variants.
  • 110:6 Or crush the head of the wide world
  • 111:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 111:10 Or foundation or prerequisite
  • 112:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 112:9 His horn is his power.
  • 113:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 113:9 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 115:17 The short form of the divine name, Yah, is used rather than the full form, Yahweh.
  • 115:18 The short form of the divine name, Yah, is used rather than the full form, Yahweh.
  • 115:18 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 116:3 Or, more literally, caught up with me
  • 116:6 Or those with a childlike faith
  • 116:13 Or proclaim
  • 117:1 The Hebrew word here is not one of the usual words for nation, people, or tribe, so it has been translated race to distinguish it from the more common words.
  • 117:2 Or truth
  • 118:5 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used here, also in the next line, and in verses 14, 17, 18, 19.
  • 118:9 The Hebrew word refers to rich people who have the willingness and the means to help the needy.
  • 118:10 Or perhaps a rare homonym push them away
  • 118:22 Literally the head of the corner. Other possible translations are the capstone or the keystone.
  • 118:25 The Hebrew for please save us now is hosanna.
  • 118:27 To avoid imposing a guess on the text, the translation retains a literal translation of this very difficult line. It seems to mean: It's the festival! Decorate the route with boughs and march in a procession toward the horns of the altar. Many suggest it means: Decorate the festival sacrificial animal with boughs and tie it to the horns of the altar, but Israelite worshippers did not approach the altar. Only priests did that, and by then the sacrifice had been cut into pieces.
  • 119:1 Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is a lengthy meditation on the characteristics and blessings of God's Word. God's Word is praised 176 times (22 × 8). Eight different names for God's Word appear repeatedly throughout the psalm (laws, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commands, judgments, words, sayings). Though many of these terms sound like legal terms, they are all names for God's whole Word. Each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet is represented by an eight-line stanza. All eight lines of each stanza begin with the appropriate Hebrew letter. The letter names are listed in the stanza headings.
  • 119:1 law in the Old Testament is often used in a wide sense as a name for God's whole Word. It may refer to teaching of various kinds.
  • 119:2 Or guard
  • 119:4 Or regulations or rules
  • 119:5 Or instructions
  • 119:7 Or rulings or ordinances
  • 119:9 Or word. In this psalm there are many textual variants between singular and plural forms of word. The translation does not note them all.
  • 119:11 Or message. Many translate this as promise, but it is the common Hebrew root for say. Sometimes, of course, God's sayings are promises.
  • 119:25 In the Old Testament my soul is a more emotional way of saying I or me.
  • 119:30 Or I set before me
  • 119:32 Or you increased my understanding or you motivated me. Literally you made my heart wide.
  • 119:37 A few Hebrew manuscripts have your word. Without this alteration there is no name of the Word in this verse.
  • 119:59 In these and other verses of the psalm it is sometimes uncertain whether the Hebrew verb forms refer to past actions, present attitudes, or future intentions.
  • 119:70 Literally their fat hearts
  • 119:118 Or is useless
  • 119:132 Some translations take the Hebrew word mishpat, translated as judgment above, to mean this is your usual way to deal with those who love your name, but if this is done, there is no name for God's Word in this verse.
  • 120:0 This group of psalms (Psalms 120–134) is usually called the Songs of Ascent in English, but the Hebrew title is songs of the ascents. The ascents may include both going up to Jerusalem and going up to God. These psalms celebrate pilgrimage to Jerusalem, especially the return from captivity in Babylon.
  • 120:6 In Hebrew my soul is a more intense, emotional way of saying I or me.
  • 121:7 Or evil
  • 121:7 Or soul
  • 122:3 The meaning is uncertain. Literally Jerusalem, the built one, like a city which is joined to her together
  • 122:4 The short version of the divine name, Yah, is used rather than the full form, Yahweh.
  • 124:2 The Hebrew has a collective singular, mankind. The context refers to the nations hostile to Israel, especially Assyria and Babylon.
  • 126:1 Or when the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion
  • 127:2 Or he can provide for those he loves even when they sleep
  • 127:5 The city gatehouse was the equivalent of our present-day courthouse.
  • 130:3 Yah, the short form of the divine name, is used here.
  • 131:2 Or weaned
  • 132:3 Literally the tent of my house
  • 132:3 Literally the couch of my bed
  • 132:10 That is, the line of kings culminating in Christ
  • 135:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 135:3 The short form of the divine name, Yah, is used rather than the full form, Yahweh. Also in verse 4.
  • 136:4 This psalm has special indentation and punctuation to set off the repeated refrain that interrupts the body of the psalm. Dashes at the end of a line indicate that the line is one unit of a string of descriptions that form one basis for thanks. In all of the lines from verses 4 through 22 one must assume the repetition of the verb give thanks to from the previous section, verses 1–3. Occasionally a comma is substituted for the dash to show that this line must be joined with the next line to complete one of the units that begins with to him who.
  • 136:25 Literally all flesh
  • 137:1 Many of the rivers were in fact canals running off the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
  • 137:5 The words how to play music are supplied to clarify the point of reference.
  • 137:7 This wording recalls the hostility between Jacob (called Israel) and Esau (called Edom).
  • 138:1 gods here may refer to angels, though that use of the term is rare. The point may simply be a declaration of God's superiority to the pagan gods, who are only demons.
  • 138:2 Literally for you have made great over all your name your saying or, with a different reading of the Hebrew, you made your word higher than the heavens
  • 138:8 Or complete his plans
  • 138:8 Hebrew variant work
  • 139:3 Literally you winnow my path and my crouching down
  • 139:7 Or presence. Presence can be a name for God or for the second person of the Trinity.
  • 139:13 Literally kidneys. The kidneys were thought of as a center of emotion.
  • 140:5 This word seems to dangle and is omitted by many translators.
  • 140:8 Or so that they are not exalted
  • 140:11 Or boaster
  • 141:5 Literally oil
  • 141:7 The words they will say are added to clarify who is speaking.
  • 141:8 Yahweh Adonai, which the Jews read as if it was God the Lord
  • 142:0 A maskil is a type of hymn. It means a song that makes one wise or a skillful song.
  • 142:0 The cave at Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 or the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24
  • 144:2 Hebrew variant. The main Hebrew reading is my people.
  • 144:4 Or vapor
  • 144:8 Literally their right hand a right hand of falseness
  • 145:13 The second half of verse 13 does not appear in the Hebrew text, but it is in the Greek version of the Old Testament and a Dead Sea Scroll.
  • 145:16 Switching back and forth between second and third person verbs and pronouns is common in psalms.
  • 146:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 146:3 The Hebrew word refers to rich people who have the willingness and the means to help the needy.
  • 147:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 147:18 Or he sends his wind on them
  • 147:18 The words ice and snow are added to clarify the antecedents.
  • 148:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 148:14 The word horn is a reference to power. Here it refers to the Messiah.
  • 149:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  • 150:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah