1 God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won't follow sinners or join in sneering at God.
2 Instead, the Law of the LORD makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.
3 They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do.
4 That isn't true of those who are evil, because they are like straw blown by the wind.
5 Sinners won't have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won't have a place with the people of God.
6 The LORD protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.
1 Why do the nations plot, and why do their people make useless plans?
2 The kings of this earth have all joined together to turn against the LORD and his chosen one.
3 They say, "Let's cut the ropes and set ourselves free!"
4 In heaven the LORD laughs as he sits on his throne, making fun of the nations.
5 The LORD becomes furious and threatens them. His anger terrifies them as he says,
6 "I've put my king on Zion, my sacred hill."
7 I will tell the promise that the LORD made to me: "You are my son, because today I have become your father.
8 Ask me for the nations, and every nation on earth will belong to you.
9 You will smash them with an iron rod and shatter them like dishes of clay."
10 Be smart, all you rulers, and pay close attention.
11 Serve and honor the LORD; be glad and tremble.
12 Show respect to his son because if you don't, the LORD might become furious and suddenly destroy you. But he blesses and protects everyone who runs to him.
1 (Written by David when he was running from his son Absalom.) I have a lot of enemies, LORD. Many fight against
2 me and say, "God won't rescue you!"
3 But you are my shield, and you give me victory and great honor.
4 I pray to you, and you answer from your sacred hill.
5 I sleep and wake up refreshed because you, LORD, protect me.
6 Ten thousand enemies attack from every side, but I am not afraid.
7 Come and save me, LORD God! Break my enemies' jaws and shatter their teeth,
8 because you protect and bless your people.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.) You are my God and protector. Please answer my prayer. I was in terrible distress, but you set me free. Now have pity and listen as I pray.
2 How long will you people refuse to respect me? You love foolish things, and you run after what is worthless.
3 The LORD has chosen everyone who is faithful to be his very own, and he answers my prayers.
4 But each of you had better tremble and turn from your sins. Silently search your heart as you lie in bed.
5 Offer the proper sacrifices and trust the LORD.
6 There are some who ask, "Who will be good to us?" Let your kindness, LORD, shine brightly on us.
7 You brought me more happiness than a rich harvest of grain and grapes.
8 I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, LORD, will keep me safe.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. Use flutes.) Listen, LORD, as I pray! Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God. Answer my cry for help because I pray to you.
3 Each morning you listen to my prayer, as I bring my requests to you and wait for your reply.
4 You are not the kind of God who is pleased with evil. Sinners can't stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand in your presence, LORD, and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar, and you despise violence and deceit.
7 Because of your great mercy, I come to your house, LORD, and I am filled with wonder as I bow down to worship at your holy temple.
8 You do what is right, and I ask you to guide me. Make your teaching clear because of my enemies.
9 Nothing they say is true! They just want to destroy. Their words are deceitful like a hidden pit, and their tongues are good only for telling lies.
10 Punish them, God, and let their own plans bring their downfall. Get rid of them! They keep committing crimes and turning against you.
11 Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice.
12 Our LORD, you bless those who live right, and you shield them with your kindness.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.) Don't punish me, LORD, or even correct me when you are angry!
2 Have pity on me and heal my feeble body. My bones tremble with fear,
3 and I am in deep distress. How long will it be?
4 Turn and come to my rescue. Show your wonderful love and save me, LORD.
5 If I die, I cannot praise you or even remember you.
6 My groaning has worn me out. At night my bed and pillow are soaked with tears.
7 Sorrow has made my eyes dim, and my sight has failed because of my enemies.
8 You, LORD, heard my crying, and those hateful people had better leave me alone.
9 You have answered my prayer and my plea for mercy.
10 My enemies will be ashamed and terrified, as they quickly run away in complete disgrace.
1 (Written by David. He sang this to the LORD because of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.) You, LORD God, are my protector. Rescue me and keep me safe from all who chase me.
2 Or else they will rip me apart like lions attacking a victim, and no one will save me.
3 I am innocent, LORD God!
4 I have not betrayed a friend or had pity on an enemy who attacks for no reason.
5 If I have done any of this, then let my enemies chase and capture me. Let them stomp me to death and leave me in the dirt.
6 Get angry, LORD God! Do something! Attack my furious enemies. See that justice is done.
7 Make the nations come to you, as you sit on your throne above them all.
8 Our LORD, judge the nations! Judge me and show that I am honest and innocent.
9 You know every heart and mind, and you always do right. Now make violent people stop, but protect all of us who obey you.
10 You, God, are my shield, the protector of everyone whose heart is right.
11 You see that justice is done, and each day you take revenge.
12 Whenever your enemies refuse to change their ways, you sharpen your sword and string your bow.
13 Your deadly arrows are ready with flaming tips.
14 An evil person is like a woman about to give birth to a hateful, deceitful, and rebellious child.
15 Such people dig a deep hole, then fall in it themselves.
16 The trouble they cause comes back on them, and their heads are crushed by their own evil deeds.
17 I will praise you, LORD! You always do right. I will sing about you, the LORD Most High.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Our LORD and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth! You let your glory be seen in the heavens above.
2 With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.
3 I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place.
4 Then I ask, "Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?"
5 You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor.
6 You let us rule everything your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power--
7 the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures.
9 Our LORD and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "The Death of the Son.") I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart and tell about the wonders you have worked.
2 God Most High, I will rejoice; I will celebrate and sing because of you.
3 When my enemies face you, they run away and stumble and are destroyed.
4 You take your seat as judge, and your fair decisions prove that I was in the right.
5 You warn the nations and destroy evil people; you wipe out their names forever and ever.
6 Our enemies are destroyed completely for all time. Their cities are torn down, and they will never be remembered again.
7 You rule forever, LORD, and you are on your throne, ready for judgment.
8 You judge the world fairly and treat all nations with justice.
9 The poor can run to you because you are a fortress in times of trouble.
10 Everyone who honors your name can trust you, because you are faithful to all who depend on you.
11 You rule from Zion, LORD, and we sing about you to let the nations know everything you have done.
12 You did not forget to punish the guilty or listen to the cries of those in need.
13 Please have mercy, LORD! My enemies mistreat me. Keep me from the gates that lead to death,
14 and I will sing about you at the gate to Zion. I will be happy there because you rescued me.
15 Our LORD, the nations fell into their own pits, and their feet were caught in their own traps.
16 You showed what you are like, and you made certain that justice is done, but evil people are trapped by their own evil deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the world of the dead to be with those nations that forgot about you.
18 The poor and the homeless won't always be forgotten and without hope.
19 Do something, LORD! Don't let the nations win. Make them stand trial in your court of law.
20 Make the nations afraid and let them all discover just how weak they are.
1 Why are you far away, LORD? Why do you hide yourself when I am in trouble?
2 Proud and brutal people hunt down the poor. But let them get caught by their own evil plans!
3 The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, LORD.
4 The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you.
5 They are always successful, though they can't understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies.
6 In their hearts they say, "Nothing can hurt us! We'll always be happy and free from trouble."
7 They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong.
8 They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim.
9 They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away.
10 They crouch down and wait to grab a victim.
11 They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold."
12 Do something, LORD God, and use your powerful arm to help those in need.
13 The wicked don't respect you. In their hearts they say, "God won't punish us!"
14 But you see the trouble and the distress, and you will do something. The poor can count on you, and so can orphans.
15 Now break the arms of all merciless people. Punish them for doing wrong and make them stop.
16 Our LORD, you will always rule, but nations will vanish from the earth.
17 You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help.
18 You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) The LORD is my fortress! Don't say to me, "Escape like a bird to the mountains!"
2 You tell me, "Watch out! Those evil people have put their arrows on their bows, and they are standing in the shadows, aiming at good people.
3 What can an honest person do when everything crumbles?"
4 The LORD is sitting in his sacred temple on his throne in heaven. He knows everything we do because he sees us all.
5 The LORD tests honest people, but despises those who are cruel and love violence.
6 He will send fiery coals and flaming sulfur down on the wicked, and they will drink nothing but a scorching wind.
7 The LORD always does right and wants justice done. Everyone who does right will see his face.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Please help me, LORD! All who were faithful and all who were loyal have disappeared.
2 Everyone tells lies, and no one is sincere.
3 Won't you chop off all flattering tongues that brag so loudly?
4 They say to themselves, "We are great speakers. No one else has a chance."
5 But you, LORD, tell them, "I will do something! The poor are mistreated and helpless people moan. I'll rescue all who suffer."
6 Our LORD, you are true to your promises, and your word is like silver heated seven times in a fiery furnace.
7 You will protect us and always keep us safe from those people.
8 But all who are wicked will keep on strutting, while everyone praises their shameless deeds.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) How much longer, LORD, will you forget about me? Will it be forever? How long will you hide?
2 How long must I be confused and miserable all day? How long will my enemies keep beating me down?
3 Please listen, LORD God, and answer my prayers. Make my eyes sparkle again, or else I will fall into the sleep of death.
4 My enemies will say, "Now we've won!" They will be greatly pleased when I am defeated.
5 I trust your love, and I feel like celebrating because you rescued me.
6 You have been good to me, LORD, and I will sing about you.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Only a fool would say, "There is no God!" People like that are worthless; they are heartless and cruel and never do right.
2 From heaven the LORD looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for him.
3 But all of them are corrupt; no one does right.
4 Won't you evil people learn? You refuse to pray, and you gobble down the LORD's people.
5 But you will be frightened, because God is on the side of every good person.
6 You may spoil the plans of the poor, but the LORD protects them.
7 I long for someone from Zion to come and save Israel! Our LORD, when you bless your people again, Jacob's family will be glad, and Israel will celebrate.
1 (A psalm by David.) Who may stay in God's temple or live on the holy mountain of the LORD?
2 Only those who obey God and do as they should. They speak the truth
3 and don't spread gossip; they treat others fairly and don't say cruel things.
4 They hate worthless people, but show respect for all who worship the LORD. And they keep their promises, no matter what the cost.
5 They lend their money without charging interest, and they don't take bribes to hurt the innocent. Those who do these things will always stand firm.
1 (A special psalm by David.) Protect me, LORD God! I run to you for safety,
2 and I have said, "Only you are my Lord! Every good thing I have is a gift from you."
3 Your people are wonderful, and they make me happy,
4 but worshipers of other gods will have much sorrow. I refuse to offer sacrifices of blood to those gods or worship in their name.
5 You, LORD, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.
6 You make my life pleasant, and my future is bright.
7 I praise you, LORD, for being my guide. Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind.
8 I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear.
9 With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest.
10 I am your chosen one. You won't leave me in the grave or let my body decay.
11 You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.
1 (A prayer by David.) I am innocent, LORD! Won't you listen as I pray and beg for help? I am honest! Please hear my prayer.
2 Only you can say that I am innocent, because only your eyes can see the truth.
3 You know my heart, and even during the night you have tested me and found me innocent. I have made up my mind never to tell a lie.
4 I don't do like others. I obey your teachings and am not cruel.
5 I have followed you, without ever stumbling.
6 I pray to you, God, because you will help me. Listen and answer my prayer!
7 Show your wonderful love. Your mighty arm protects those who run to you for safety from their enemies.
8 Protect me as you would your very own eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Don't let my brutal enemies attack from all sides and kill me.
10 They refuse to show mercy, and they keep bragging.
11 They have caught up with me! My enemies are everywhere, eagerly hoping to smear me in the dirt.
12 They are like hungry lions hunting for food, or like young lions hiding in ambush.
13 Do something, LORD! Attack and defeat them. Take your sword and save me from those evil people.
14 Use your powerful arm and rescue me from the hands of mere humans whose world won't last. You provide food for those you love. Their children have plenty, and their grandchildren will have more than enough.
15 I am innocent, LORD, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.
1 (For the music leader. A psalm by David, the LORD's servant. David sang this to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from his enemies, but especially from Saul.) I love you, LORD God, and you make me strong.
2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter.
3 I praise you, LORD! I prayed, and you rescued me from my enemies.
4 Death had wrapped its ropes around me, and I was almost swallowed by its flooding waters.
5 Ropes from the world of the dead had coiled around me, and death had set a trap in my path.
6 I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer.
7 The earth shook and shivered, and the mountains trembled down to their roots. You were angry
8 and breathed out smoke. Scorching heat and fiery flames spewed from your mouth.
9 You opened the heavens like curtains, and you came down with storm clouds under your feet.
10 You rode on the backs of flying creatures and swooped down with the wind as wings.
11 Darkness was your robe; thunderclouds filled the sky, hiding you from sight.
12 Hailstones and fiery coals lit up the sky in front of you.
13 LORD Most High, your voice thundered from the heavens, as hailstones and fiery coals poured down like rain.
14 You scattered your enemies with arrows of lightning.
15 You roared at the sea, and its deepest channels could be seen. You snorted, and the earth shook to its foundations.
16 You reached down from heaven, and you lifted me from deep in the ocean.
17 You rescued me from enemies, who were hateful and too powerful for me.
18 On the day disaster struck, they came and attacked, but you defended me.
19 When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me.
20 You are good to me, LORD, because I do right, and you reward me because I am innocent.
21 I do what you want and never turn to do evil.
22 I keep your laws in mind and never look away from your teachings.
23 I obey you completely and guard against sin.
24 You have been good to me because I do right; you have rewarded me for being innocent by your standards.
25 You are always loyal to your loyal people, and you are faithful to the faithful.
26 With all who are sincere, you are sincere, but you treat the unfaithful as their deeds deserve.
27 You rescue the humble, but you put down all who are proud.
28 You, the LORD God, keep my lamp burning and turn darkness to light.
29 You help me defeat armies and capture cities.
30 Your way is perfect, LORD, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help.
31 You alone are God! Only you are a mighty rock.
32 You give me strength and guide me right.
33 You make my feet run as fast as those of a deer, and you help me stand on the mountains.
34 You teach my hands to fight and my arms to use a bow of bronze.
35 You alone are my shield. Your right hand supports me, and by coming to help me, you have made me famous.
36 You clear the way for me, and now I won't stumble.
37 I kept chasing my enemies, until I caught them and destroyed them.
38 I stuck my sword through my enemies, and they were crushed under my feet.
39 You helped me win victories, and you forced my attackers to fall victim to me.
40 You made my enemies run, and I killed them.
41 They cried out for help, but no one saved them; they called out to you, but there was no answer.
42 I ground them to dust blown by the wind, and I poured them out like mud in the streets.
43 You rescued me from stubborn people, and you made me the leader of foreign nations, who are now my slaves.
44 They obey and come crawling.
45 They have lost all courage, and from their fortresses, they come trembling.
46 You are the living LORD! I will praise you. You are a mighty rock. I will honor you for keeping me safe.
47 You took revenge for me, and you put nations in my power.
48 You protected me from violent enemies and made me much greater than all of them.
49 I will praise you, LORD, and I will honor you among the nations.
50 You give glorious victories to your chosen king. Your faithful love for David and for his descendants will never end.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done.
2 Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next.
3 They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice.
4 Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun.
5 It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race.
6 It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat.
7 The Law of the LORD is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people.
8 The LORD's instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.
9 Worshiping the LORD is sacred; he will always be worshiped. All of his decisions are correct and fair.
10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb.
11 By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded.
12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it.
13 Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault.
14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) I pray that the LORD will listen when you are in trouble, and that the God of Jacob will keep you safe.
2 May the LORD send help from his temple and come to your rescue from Mount Zion.
3 May he remember your gifts and be pleased with what you bring.
4 May God do what you want most and let all go well for you.
5 Then you will win victories, and we will celebrate, while raising our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all of your prayers!
6 I am certain, LORD, that you will help your chosen king. You will answer my prayers from your holy place in heaven, and you will save me with your mighty arm.
7 Some people trust the power of chariots or horses, but we trust you, LORD God.
8 Others will stumble and fall, but we will be strong and stand firm.
9 Give the king victory, LORD, and answer our prayers.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Our LORD, your mighty power makes the king glad, and he celebrates victories that you have given him.
2 You did what he wanted most and never told him "No."
3 You truly blessed the king, and you placed on him a crown of finest gold.
4 He asked to live a long time, and you promised him life that never ends.
5 The king is highly honored. You have let him win victories that have made him famous.
6 You have given him blessings that will last forever, and you have made him glad by being so near to him.
7 LORD Most High, the king trusts you, and your kindness keeps him from defeat.
8 With your mighty arm, LORD, you will strike down all of your hateful enemies.
9 They will be destroyed by fire once you are here, and because of your anger, flames will swallow them.
10 You will wipe their families from the earth, and they will disappear.
11 All their plans to harm you will come to nothing.
12 You will make them run away by shooting your arrows at their faces.
13 Show your strength, LORD, so that we may sing and praise your power.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "A Deer at Dawn." ) My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won't you listen to my groans and come to my rescue?
2 I cry out day and night, but you don't answer, and I can never rest.
3 Yet you are the holy God, ruling from your throne and praised by Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted you, and you rescued them.
5 When they cried out for help, you saved them, and you did not let them down when they depended on you.
6 But I am merely a worm, far less than human, and I am hated and rejected by people everywhere.
7 Everyone who sees me makes fun and sneers. They shake their heads,
8 and say, "Trust the LORD! If you are his favorite, let him protect you and keep you safe."
9 You, LORD, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother's breast.
10 From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God.
11 Don't stay far off when I am in trouble with no one to help me.
12 Enemies are all around like a herd of wild bulls. Powerful bulls from Bashan are everywhere.
13 My enemies are like lions roaring and attacking with jaws open wide.
14 I have no more strength than a few drops of water. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax.
15 My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt.
16 Brutal enemies attack me like a pack of dogs, tearing at my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones, and my enemies just stare and sneer at me.
18 They took my clothes and gambled for them.
19 Don't stay far away, LORD! My strength comes from you, so hurry and help.
20 Rescue me from enemy swords and save me from those dogs.
21 Don't let lions eat me. You rescued me from the horns of wild bulls,
22 and when your people meet, I will praise you, LORD.
23 All who worship the LORD, now praise him! You belong to Jacob's family and to the people of Israel, so fear and honor the LORD!
24 The LORD doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I cried out, he listened and did not turn away.
25 When your people meet, you will fill my heart with your praises, LORD, and everyone will see me keep my promises to you.
26 The poor will eat and be full, and all who worship you will be thankful and live in hope.
27 Everyone on this earth will remember you, LORD. People all over the world will turn and worship you,
28 because you are in control, the ruler of all nations.
29 All who are rich and have more than enough will bow down to you, Lord. Even those who are dying and almost in the grave will come and bow down.
30 In the future, everyone will worship and learn about you, our Lord.
31 People not yet born will be told, "The Lord has saved us!"
1 (A psalm by David.) You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.
2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
3 and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.
4 I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.
5 You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows.
6 Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, LORD.
1 (A psalm by David.) The earth and everything on it belong to the LORD. The world and its people belong to him.
2 The LORD placed it all on the oceans and rivers.
3 Who may climb the LORD's hill or stand in his holy temple?
4 Only those who do right for the right reasons, and don't worship idols or tell lies under oath.
5 The LORD God, who saves them, will bless and reward them,
6 because they worship and serve the God of Jacob.
7 Open the ancient gates, so that the glorious king may come in.
8 Who is this glorious king? He is our LORD, a strong and mighty warrior.
9 Open the ancient gates, so that the glorious king may come in.
10 Who is this glorious king? He is our LORD, the All-Powerful!
1 (By David.) I offer you my heart, LORD God,
2 and I trust you. Don't make me ashamed or let enemies defeat me.
3 Don't disappoint any of your worshipers, but disappoint all deceitful liars.
4 Show me your paths and teach me to follow;
5 guide me by your truth and instruct me. You keep me safe, and I always trust you.
6 Please, LORD, remember, you have always been patient and kind.
7 Forget each wrong I did when I was young. Show how truly kind you are and remember me.
8 You are honest and merciful, and you teach sinners how to follow your path.
9 You lead humble people to do what is right and to stay on your path.
10 In everything you do, you are kind and faithful to everyone who keeps our agreement with you.
11 Be true to your name, LORD, by forgiving each one of my terrible sins.
12 You will show the right path to all who worship you.
13 They will have plenty, and then their children will receive the land.
14 Our LORD, you are the friend of your worshipers, and you make an agreement with all of us.
15 I always look to you, because you rescue me from every trap.
16 I am lonely and troubled. Show that you care and have pity on me.
17 My awful worries keep growing. Rescue me from sadness.
18 See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins.
19 Look at all my enemies! See how much they hate me.
20 I come to you for shelter. Protect me, keep me safe, and don't disappoint me.
21 I obey you with all my heart, and I trust you, knowing that you will save me.
22 Our God, please save Israel from all of its troubles.
1 (By David.) Show that I am right, LORD! I stay true to myself, and I have trusted you without doubting.
2 Test my thoughts and find out what I am like.
3 I never forget your kindness, and I am always faithful to you.
4 I don't spend my time with worthless liars
5 or go with evil crowds.
6 I wash my hands, LORD, to show my innocence, and I worship at your altar,
7 while gratefully singing about your wonders.
8 I love the temple where you live, and where your glory shines.
9 Don't sweep me away, as you do sinners. Don't punish me with death as you do those people who are brutal
10 or full of meanness or who bribe others.
11 I stay true to myself. Be kind and rescue me.
12 Now I stand on solid ground! And when your people meet, I will praise you, LORD.
1 (By David.) You, LORD, are the light that keeps me safe. I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me, and I have no fears.
2 Brutal people may attack and try to kill me, but they will stumble. Fierce enemies may attack, but they will fall.
3 Armies may surround me, but I won't be afraid; war may break out, but I will trust you.
4 I ask only one thing, LORD: Let me live in your house every day of my life to see how wonderful you are and to pray in your temple.
5 In times of trouble, you will protect me. You will hide me in your tent and keep me safe on top of a mighty rock.
6 You will let me defeat all of my enemies. Then I will celebrate, as I enter your tent with animal sacrifices and songs of praise.
7 Please listen when I pray! Have pity. Answer my prayer.
8 My heart tells me to pray. I am eager to see your face,
9 so don't hide from me. I am your servant, and you have helped me. Don't turn from me in anger. You alone keep me safe. Don't reject or desert me.
10 Even if my father and mother should desert me, you will take care of me.
11 Teach me to follow, LORD, and lead me on the right path because of my enemies.
12 Don't let them do to me what they want. People tell lies about me and make terrible threats,
13 but I know I will live to see how kind you are.
14 Trust the LORD! Be brave and strong and trust the LORD.
1 (By David.) Only you, LORD, are a mighty rock! Don't refuse to help me when I pray. If you don't answer me, I will soon be dead.
2 Please listen to my prayer and my cry for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy temple.
3 Don't drag me away, LORD, with those cruel people, who speak kind words, while planning trouble.
4 Treat them as they deserve! Punish them for their sins.
5 They don't pay any attention to your wonderful deeds. Now you will destroy them and leave them in ruin.
6 I praise you, LORD, for answering my prayers.
7 You are my strong shield, and I trust you completely. You have helped me, and I will celebrate and thank you in song.
8 You give strength to your people, LORD, and you save and protect your chosen ones.
9 Come save us and bless us. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.
1 (A psalm by David.) All of you angels in heaven, honor the glory and power of the LORD!
2 Honor the wonderful name of the LORD, and worship the LORD most holy and glorious.
3 The voice of the LORD echoes over the oceans. The glorious LORD God thunders above the roar of the raging sea,
4 and his voice is mighty and marvelous.
5 The voice of the LORD destroys the cedar trees; the LORD shatters cedars on Mount Lebanon.
6 God makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf and Mount Hermon jump like a wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD makes lightning flash
8 and the desert tremble. And because of the LORD, the desert near Kadesh shivers and shakes.
9 The voice of the LORD makes deer give birth before their time. Forests are stripped of leaves, and the temple is filled with shouts of praise.
10 The LORD rules on his throne, king of the flood forever.
11 Pray that our LORD will make us strong and give us peace.
1 (A psalm by David for the dedication of the temple.) I will praise you, LORD! You saved me from the grave and kept my enemies from celebrating my death.
2 I prayed to you, LORD God, and you healed me,
3 saving me from death and the grave.
4 Your faithful people, LORD, will praise you with songs and honor your holy name.
5 Your anger lasts a little while, but your kindness lasts for a lifetime. At night we may cry, but when morning comes we will celebrate.
6 I was carefree and thought, "I'll never be shaken!"
7 You, LORD, were my friend, and you made me strong as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was crushed.
8 I prayed to you, LORD, and in my prayer I said,
9 "What good will it do you if I am in the grave? Once I have turned to dust, how can I praise you or tell how loyal you are?
10 Have pity, LORD! Help!"
11 You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing. No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth.
12 I thank you from my heart, and I will never stop singing your praises, my LORD and my God.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) I come to you, LORD, for protection. Don't let me be ashamed. Do as you have promised and rescue me.
2 Listen to my prayer and hurry to save me. Be my mighty rock and the fortress where I am safe.
3 You, LORD God, are my mighty rock and my fortress. Lead me and guide me, so that your name will be honored.
4 Protect me from hidden traps and keep me safe.
5 You are faithful, and I trust you because you rescued me.
6 I hate the worshipers of worthless idols, but I trust you, LORD.
7 I celebrate and shout because you are kind. You saw all my suffering, and you cared for me.
8 You kept me from the hands of my enemies, and you set me free.
9 Have pity, LORD! I am hurting and almost blind. My whole body aches.
10 I have known only sorrow all my life long, and I suffer year after year. I am weak from sin, and my bones are limp.
11 My enemies insult me. Neighbors are even worse, and I disgust my friends. People meet me on the street, and they turn and run.
12 I am completely forgotten like someone dead. I am merely a broken dish.
13 I hear the crowds whisper, "Everyone is afraid!" They are plotting and scheming to murder me.
14 But I trust you, LORD, and I claim you as my God.
15 My life is in your hands. Save me from enemies who hunt me down.
16 Smile on me, your servant. Have pity and rescue me.
17 I pray only to you. Don't disappoint me. Disappoint my cruel enemies until they lie silent in their graves.
18 Silence those proud liars! Make them stop bragging and insulting your people.
19 You are wonderful, and while everyone watches, you store up blessings for all who honor and trust you.
20 You are their shelter from harmful plots, and you are their protection from vicious gossip.
21 I will praise you, LORD, for showing great kindness when I was like a city under attack.
22 I was terrified and thought, "They've chased me far away from you!" But you answered my prayer when I shouted for help.
23 All who belong to the LORD, show how you love him. The LORD protects the faithful, but he severely punishes everyone who is proud.
24 All who trust the LORD, be cheerful and strong.
1 (A special psalm by David.) Our God, you bless everyone whose sins you forgive and wipe away.
2 You bless them by saying, "You told me your sins, without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you."
3 Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long.
4 Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me, and my strength was gone as in the summer heat.
5 So I confessed my sins and told them all to you. I said, "I'll tell the LORD each one of my sins." Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.
6 We worship you, Lord, and we should always pray whenever we find out that we have sinned. Then we won't be swept away by a raging flood.
7 You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me.
8 You said to me, "I will point out the road that you should follow. I will be your teacher and watch over you.
9 Don't be stupid like horses and mules that must be led with ropes to make them obey."
10 All kinds of troubles will strike the wicked, but your kindness shields those who trust you, LORD.
11 And so your good people should celebrate and shout.
1 You are the LORD's people. Obey him and celebrate! He deserves your praise.
2 Praise the LORD with harps! Use harps with ten strings to make music for him.
3 Sing a new song. Shout! Play beautiful music.
4 The LORD is truthful; he can be trusted.
5 He loves justice and fairness, and he is kind to everyone everywhere on earth.
6 The LORD made the heavens and everything in them by his word.
7 He scooped up the ocean and stored the water.
8 Everyone in this world should worship and honor the LORD!
9 As soon as he spoke the world was created; at his command, the earth was formed.
10 The LORD destroys the plans and spoils the schemes of the nations.
11 But what the LORD has planned will stand forever. His thoughts never change.
12 The LORD blesses each nation that worships only him. He blesses his chosen ones.
13 The LORD looks at the world
14 from his throne in heaven, and he watches us all.
15 The LORD gave us each a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him.
16 Mighty armies alone cannot win wars for a king; great strength by itself cannot keep a soldier safe.
17 In war the strength of a horse cannot be trusted to take you to safety.
18 But the LORD watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness.
19 He protects them from death and starvation.
20 We depend on you, LORD, to help and protect us.
21 You make our hearts glad because we trust you, the only God.
22 Be kind and bless us! We depend on you.
1 (Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.) I will always praise the LORD.
2 With all my heart, I will praise the LORD. Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad.
3 Honor the LORD with me! Celebrate his great name.
4 I asked the LORD for help, and he saved me from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the LORD! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed, and the LORD saved me from all my troubles.
7 If you honor the LORD, his angel will protect you.
8 Discover for yourself that the LORD is kind. Come to him for protection, and you will be glad.
9 Honor the LORD! You are his special people. No one who honors the LORD will ever be in need.
10 Young lions may go hungry or even starve, but if you trust the LORD, you will never miss out on anything good.
11 Come, my children, listen as I teach you to respect the LORD.
12 Do you want to live and enjoy a long life?
13 Then don't say cruel things and don't tell lies.
14 Do good instead of evil and try to live at peace.
15 If you obey the LORD, he will watch over you and answer your prayers.
16 But God despises evil people, and he will wipe them all from the earth, till they are forgotten.
17 When his people pray for help, he listens and rescues them from their troubles.
18 The LORD is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.
19 The LORD's people may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them safely through.
20 Not one of their bones will ever be broken.
21 Wicked people are killed by their own evil deeds, and if you hate God's people you will be punished.
22 The LORD saves the lives of his servants. Run to him for protection, and you won't be punished.
1 (A psalm by David.) Fight my enemies, LORD! Attack my attackers!
2 Shield me and help me.
3 Aim your spear at everyone who hunts me down, but promise to save me.
4 Let all who want to kill me be disappointed and disgraced. Chase away and confuse all who plan to harm me.
5 Send your angel after them and let them be like straw in the wind.
6 Make them run in the dark on a slippery road, as your angel chases them.
7 I did them no harm, but they hid a net to trap me, and they dug a deep pit to catch and kill me.
8 Surprise them with disaster! Trap them in their own nets and let them fall and rot in the pits they have dug.
9 I will celebrate and be joyful because you, LORD, have saved me.
10 Every bone in my body will shout: "No one is like the LORD!" You protect the helpless from those in power; you save the poor and needy from those who hurt them.
11 Liars accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They repay evil for good, and I feel all alone.
13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and went without food. I truly prayed for them,
14 as I would for a friend or a relative. I was in sorrow and mourned, as I would for my mother.
15 I have stumbled, and worthless liars I don't even know surround me and sneer.
16 Worthless people make fun and never stop laughing.
17 But all you do is watch! When will you do something? Save me from the attack of those vicious lions.
18 And when your people meet, I will praise you and thank you, Lord, in front of them all.
19 Don't let my brutal enemies be glad because of me. They hate me for no reason. Don't let them wink behind my back.
20 They say hurtful things, and they lie to people who want to live in peace.
21 They are quick to accuse me. They say, "You did it! We saw you ourselves."
22 You see everything, LORD! Please don't keep silent or stay so far away.
23 Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24 and prove that I am right by your standards. Don't let them laugh at me
25 or say to each other, "Now we've got what we want! We'll gobble him down!"
26 Disappoint and confuse all who are glad to see me in trouble, but disgrace and embarrass my proud enemies who say to me, "You are nothing!"
27 Let all who want me to win be happy and joyful. From now on let them say, "The LORD is wonderful! God is glad when all goes well for his servant."
28 Then I will shout all day, "Praise the LORD God! He did what was right."
1 (For the music leader by David, the LORD's servant.) Sinners don't respect God; sin is all they think about.
2 They like themselves too much to hate their own sins or even to see them.
3 They tell deceitful lies, and they don't have the sense to live right.
4 Those people stay awake, thinking up mischief, and they follow the wrong road, refusing to turn from sin.
5 Your love is faithful, LORD, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you.
6 Your decisions are always fair. They are firm like mountains, deep like the sea, and all people and animals are under your care.
7 Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
8 You give your guests a feast in your house, and you serve a tasty drink that flows like a river.
9 The life-giving fountain belongs to you, and your light gives light to each of us.
10 Our LORD, keep showing love to everyone who knows you, and use your power to save all whose thoughts please you.
11 Don't let those proud and merciless people kick me around or chase me away.
12 Look at those wicked people! They are knocked down, never to get up again.
1 (By David.) Don't be annoyed by anyone who does wrong, and don't envy them.
2 They will soon disappear like grass without rain.
3 Trust the LORD and live right! The land will be yours, and you will be safe.
4 Do what the LORD wants, and he will give you your heart's desire.
5 Let the LORD lead you and trust him to help.
6 Then it will be as clear as the noonday sun that you were right.
7 Be patient and trust the LORD. Don't let it bother you when all goes well for those who do sinful things.
8 Don't be angry or furious. Anger can lead to sin.
9 All sinners will disappear, but if you trust the LORD, the land will be yours.
10 Sinners will soon disappear, never to be found,
11 but the poor will take the land and enjoy a big harvest.
12 Merciless people make plots against good people and snarl like animals,
13 but the Lord laughs and knows their time is coming soon.
14 The wicked kill with swords and shoot arrows to murder the poor and the needy and all who do right.
15 But they will be killed by their own swords, and their arrows will be broken.
16 It is better to live right and be poor than to be sinful and rich.
17 The wicked will lose all of their power, but the LORD gives strength to everyone who is good.
18 Those who obey the LORD are daily in his care, and what he has given them will be theirs forever.
19 They won't be in trouble when times are bad, and they will have plenty when food is scarce.
20 Wicked people are enemies of the LORD and will vanish like smoke from a field on fire.
21 An evil person borrows and never pays back; a good person is generous and never stops giving.
22 Everyone the LORD blesses will receive the land; everyone the LORD curses will be destroyed.
23 If you do what the LORD wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.
24 The LORD will hold your hand, and if you stumble, you still won't fall.
25 As long as I can remember, good people have never been left helpless, and their children have never gone begging for food.
26 They gladly give and lend, and their children turn out good.
27 If you stop sinning and start doing right, you will keep living and be secure forever.
28 The LORD loves justice, and he won't ever desert his faithful people. He always protects them, but destroys the children of the wicked.
29 God's people will own the land and live here forever.
30 Words of wisdom come when good people speak for justice.
31 They remember God's teachings, and they never take a wrong step.
32 The wicked try to trap and kill good people,
33 but the LORD is on their side, and he will defend them when they are on trial.
34 Trust the LORD and follow him. He will give you the land, and you will see the wicked destroyed.
35 I have seen brutal people abuse others and grow strong like trees in rich soil.
36 Suddenly they disappeared! I looked, but they were gone and no longer there.
37 Think of the bright future waiting for all the families of honest and innocent and peace-loving people.
38 But not a trace will be left of the wicked or their families.
39 The LORD protects his people, and they can come to him in times of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and saves them from the wicked because they run to him.
1 (A psalm by David to be used when an offering is made.) When you are angry, LORD, please don't punish me or even correct me.
2 You shot me with your arrows, and you struck me with your hand.
3 My body hurts all over because of your anger. Even my bones are in pain, and my sins
4 are so heavy that I am crushed.
5 Because of my foolishness, I am covered with sores that stink and spread.
6 My body is twisted and bent, and I groan all day long.
7 Fever has my back in flames, and I hurt all over.
8 I am worn out and weak, moaning and in distress.
9 You, Lord, know every one of my deepest desires, and my noisy groans are no secret to you.
10 My heart is beating fast. I feel weak all over, and my eyes are red.
11 Because of my sickness, no friends or neighbors will come near me.
12 All who want me dead set traps to catch me, and those who want to harm and destroy me plan and plot all day.
13 I am not able to hear or speak a word;
14 I am completely deaf and can't make a sound.
15 I trust you, LORD God, and you will do something.
16 I said, "Don't let them laugh or brag because I slip."
17 I am about to collapse from constant pain.
18 I told you my sins, and I am sorry for them.
19 Many deadly and powerful enemies hate me,
20 and they repay evil for good because I try to do right.
21 You are the LORD God! Stay nearby and don't desert me.
22 You are the one who saves me. Please hurry and help.
1 (A psalm by David for Jeduthun, the music leader.) I told myself, "I'll be careful not to sin by what I say, and I'll muzzle my mouth when evil people are near."
2 I kept completely silent, but it did no good, and I hurt even worse.
3 I felt a fire burning inside, and the more I thought, the more it burned, until at last I said:
4 "Please, LORD, show me my future. Will I soon be gone?
5 You made my life short, so brief that the time means nothing to you. "Human life is but a breath,
6 and it disappears like a shadow. Our struggles are senseless; we store up more and more, without ever knowing who will get it all.
7 "What am I waiting for? I depend on you, Lord!
8 Save me from my sins. Don't let fools sneer at me.
9 You treated me like this, and I kept silent, not saying a word.
10 "Won't you stop punishing me? You have worn me down.
11 You punish us severely because of our sins. Like a moth, you destroy what we treasure most. We are as frail as a breath.
12 "Listen, LORD, to my prayer! My eyes are flooded with tears, as I pray to you. I am merely a stranger visiting in your home as my ancestors did.
13 Stop being angry with me and let me smile again before I am dead and gone."
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) I patiently waited, LORD, for you to hear my prayer. You listened
2 and pulled me from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm,
3 and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the LORD God.
4 You bless all of those who trust you, LORD, and refuse to worship idols or follow false gods.
5 You, LORD God, have done many wonderful things, and you have planned marvelous things for us. No one is like you! I would never be able to tell all you have done.
6 Sacrifices and offerings are not what please you; gifts and payment for sin are not what you demand. But you made me willing to listen and obey.
7 And so, I said, "I am here to do what is written about me in the book, where it says,
8 'I enjoy pleasing you. Your Law is in my heart.' "
9 When your people worshiped, you know I told them, "Our LORD always helps!"
10 When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, "Our LORD is kind. He is faithful and caring, and he saves us."
11 You, LORD, never fail to have pity on me; your love and faithfulness always keep me secure.
12 I have more troubles than I can count. My sins are all around me, and I can't find my way. My sins outnumber the hairs on my head, and I feel weak.
13 Please show that you care and come to my rescue. Hurry and help me!
14 Disappoint and confuse all who want me dead; turn away and disgrace all who want to hurt me.
15 Embarrass and shame all of those who say, "Just look at you now!"
16 Our LORD, let your worshipers rejoice and be glad. They love you for saving them, so let them always say, "The LORD is wonderful!"
17 I am poor and needy, but, LORD God, you care about me, and you come to my rescue. Please hurry and help.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) You, LORD God, bless everyone who cares for the poor, and you rescue those people in times of trouble.
2 You protect them and keep them alive. You make them happy here in this land, and you don't hand them over to their enemies.
3 You always heal them and restore their strength when they are sick.
4 I prayed, "Have pity, LORD! Heal me, though I have sinned against you."
5 My vicious enemies ask me, "When will you die and be forgotten?"
6 When visitors come, all they ever bring are worthless words, and when they leave, they spread gossip.
7 My enemies whisper about me. They think the worst,
8 and they say, "You have some fatal disease! You'll never get well."
9 My most trusted friend has turned against me, though he ate at my table.
10 Have pity, LORD! Heal me, so I can pay them back.
11 Then my enemies won't defeat me, and I will know that you really care.
12 You have helped me because I am innocent, and you will always be close to my side.
13 You, the LORD God of Israel, will be praised forever! Amen and amen.
1 (A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God.
2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?
3 Day and night my tears are my only food, as everyone keeps asking, "Where is your God?"
4 Sorrow floods my heart, when I remember leading the worshipers to your house. I can still hear them shout their joyful praises.
5 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me,
6 and you are my God. I am deeply discouraged as I think about you from where the Jordan begins at Mount Hermon and from Mount Mizar.
7 Your vicious waves have swept over me like an angry ocean or a roaring waterfall.
8 Every day, you are kind, and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the living LORD God.
9 You are my mighty rock. Why have you forgotten me? Why must enemies mistreat me and make me sad?
10 Even my bones are in pain, while all day long my enemies sneer and ask, "Where is your God?"
11 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.
1 Show that I am right, God! Defend me against everyone who doesn't know you; rescue me from each of those deceitful liars.
2 I run to you for protection. Why have you turned me away? Why must enemies mistreat me and make me sad?
3 Send your light and your truth to guide me. Let them lead me to your house on your sacred mountain.
4 Then I will worship at your altar because you make me joyful. You are my God, and I will praise you. Yes, I will praise you as I play my harp.
5 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.
1 (A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) Our God, our ancestors told us what wonders you worked and we listened carefully.
2 You chased off the nations by causing them trouble with your powerful arm. Then you let our ancestors take over their land.
3 Their strength and weapons were not what won the land and gave them victory! You loved them and fought with your powerful arm and your shining glory.
4 You are my God and King, and you give victory to the people of Jacob.
5 By your great power, we knocked our enemies down and stomped on them.
6 I don't depend on my arrows or my sword to save me.
7 But you saved us from our hateful enemies, and you put them to shame.
8 We boast about you, our God, and we are always grateful.
9 But now you have rejected us; you don't lead us into battle, and we look foolish.
10 You made us retreat, and our enemies have taken everything we own.
11 You let us be slaughtered like sheep, and you scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your people for little or nothing, and you earned no profit.
13 You made us look foolish to our neighbors, and people who live nearby insult us and sneer.
14 Foreigners joke about us and shake their heads.
15 I am embarrassed every day, and I blush with shame.
16 But others mock and sneer, as they watch my enemies take revenge on me.
17 All of this has happened to us, though we didn't forget you or break our agreement.
18 We always kept you in mind and followed your teaching.
19 But you crushed us, and you covered us with deepest darkness where wild animals live.
20 We did not forget you or lift our hands in prayer to foreign gods.
21 You would have known it because you discover every secret thought.
22 We face death all day for you. We are like sheep on their way to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up! Do something, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Don't desert us forever.
24 Why do you keep looking away? Don't forget our sufferings and all of our troubles.
25 We are flat on the ground, holding on to the dust.
26 Do something! Help us! Show how kind you are and come to our rescue.
1 (A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.) My thoughts are filled with beautiful words for the king, and I will use my voice as a writer would use pen and ink.
2 No one is as handsome as you! Your words are always kind. That is why God will always bless you.
3 Mighty king, glorious ruler, strap on your sword
4 and ride out in splendor! Win victories for truth and mercy and justice. Do fearsome things with your powerful arm.
5 Send your sharp arrows through enemy hearts and make all nations fall at your feet.
6 You are God, and you will rule forever as king. Your royal power brings about justice.
7 You love justice and hate evil. And so, your God chose you and made you happier than any of your friends.
8 The sweet aroma of the spices myrrh, aloes, and cassia, covers your royal robes. You enjoy the music of harps in palaces decorated with ivory.
9 Daughters of kings are here, and your bride stands at your right side, wearing a wedding gown trimmed with pure gold.
10 Bride of the king, listen carefully to me. Forget your own people and your father's family.
11 The king is your husband, so do what he desires.
12 All of the richest people from the city of Tyre will try to influence you
13 with precious treasures. Your bride, my king, has inward beauty, and her wedding gown is woven with threads of gold.
14 Wearing the finest garments, she is brought to you, followed by her young friends, the bridesmaids.
15 Everyone is excited, as they follow you to the royal palace.
16 Your sons and your grandsons will also be kings as your ancestors were. You will make them the rulers everywhere on earth.
17 I will make your name famous from now on, and you will be praised forever and ever.
1 (A special song for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 And so, we won't be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.
3 Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.
4 A river and its streams bring joy to the city, which is the sacred home of God Most High.
5 God is in that city, and it won't be shaken. He will help it at dawn.
6 Nations rage! Kingdoms fall! But at the voice of God the earth itself melts.
7 The LORD All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come! See the fearsome things the LORD has done on earth.
9 God brings wars to an end all over the world. He breaks the arrows, shatters the spears, and burns the shields.
10 Our God says, "Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me."
11 The LORD All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.
1 (A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) All of you nations, clap your hands and shout joyful praises to God.
2 The LORD Most High is fearsome, the ruler of all the earth.
3 God has put every nation under our power,
4 and he chose for us the land that was the pride of Jacob, his favorite.
5 God goes up to his throne, as people shout and trumpets blast.
6 Sing praises to God our King,
7 the ruler of all the earth! Praise God with songs.
8 God rules the nations from his sacred throne.
9 Their leaders come together and are now the people of Abraham's God. All rulers on earth surrender their weapons, and God is greatly praised!
1 (A song and a psalm for the people of Korah.) The LORD God is wonderful! He deserves all praise in the city where he lives. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful and majestic, brings joy to all on earth. Mount Zion, truly sacred, is home for the Great King.
3 God is there to defend it and has proved to be its protector.
4 Kings joined forces to attack the city,
5 but when they saw it, they were terrified and ran away.
6 They trembled all over like women giving birth
7 or like seagoing ships wrecked by eastern winds.
8 We had heard about it, and now we have seen it in the city of our God, the LORD All-Powerful. This is the city that God will let stand forever.
9 Our God, here in your temple we think about your love.
10 You are famous and praised everywhere on earth, as you win victories with your powerful arm.
11 Mount Zion will celebrate, and all Judah will be glad, because you bring justice.
12 Let's walk around Zion and count its towers.
13 We will see its strong walls and visit each fortress. Then you can say to future generations,
14 "Our God is like this forever and will always guide us."
1 (A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) Everyone on this earth, now listen to what I say!
2 Listen, no matter who you are, rich or poor.
3 I speak words of wisdom, and my thoughts make sense.
4 I have in mind a mystery that I will explain while playing my harp.
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when I am surrounded by vicious enemies?
6 They trust in their riches and brag about all of their wealth.
7 You cannot buy back your life or pay off God!
8 It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough
9 to stay alive forever and safe from death.
10 We see that wise people die, and so do stupid fools. Then their money is left for someone else.
11 The grave will be their home forever and ever, although they once had land of their own.
12 Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.
13 Here is what happens to fools and to those who trust the words of fools:
14 They are like sheep with death as their shepherd, leading them to the grave. In the morning God's people will walk all over them, as their bodies lie rotting in their home, the grave.
15 But God will rescue me from the power of death.
16 Don't let it bother you when others get rich and live in luxury.
17 Soon they will die and all of their wealth will be left behind.
18 We humans are praised when we do well, and all of us are glad to be alive.
19 But we each will go down to our ancestors, never again to see the light of day.
20 Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.
1 (A psalm by Asaph.) From east to west, the powerful LORD God has been calling together everyone on earth.
2 God shines brightly from Zion, the most beautiful city.
3 Our God approaches, but not silently; a flaming fire comes first, and a storm surrounds him.
4 God comes to judge his people. He shouts to the heavens and to the earth,
5 "Call my followers together! They offered me a sacrifice, and we made an agreement."
6 The heavens announce, "God is the judge, and he is always honest."
7 My people, I am God! Israel, I am your God. Listen to my charges against you.
8 Although you offer sacrifices and always bring gifts,
9 I won't accept your offerings of bulls and goats.
10 Every animal in the forest belongs to me, and so do the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds in the mountains, and every wild creature is in my care.
12 If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you, because I own the world and everything in it.
13 I don't eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats.
14 I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.
15 Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.
16 But to the wicked I say: "You don't have the right to mention my laws or claim to keep our agreement!
17 You refused correction and rejected my commands.
18 You made friends with every crook you met, and you liked people who break their wedding vows.
19 You talked only about violence and told nothing but lies;
20 you sat around gossiping, ruining the reputation of your own relatives."
21 When you did all of this, I didn't say a word, and you thought, "God is just like us!" But now I will accuse you.
22 You have ignored me! So pay close attention or I will tear you apart, and no one can help you.
23 The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful heart. Obey me, and I, your God, will show my power to save.
1 (For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.) You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins.
2 Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt.
3 I know about my sins, and I cannot forget my terrible guilt.
4 You are really the one I have sinned against; I have disobeyed you and have done wrong. So it is right and fair for you to correct and punish me.
5 I have sinned and done wrong since the day I was born.
6 But you want complete honesty, so teach me true wisdom.
7 Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow.
8 Let me be happy and joyful! You crushed my bones, now let them celebrate.
9 Turn your eyes from my sin and cover my guilt.
10 Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again.
11 Don't chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.
12 Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!
13 I will teach sinners your Law, and they will return to you.
14 Keep me from any deadly sin. Only you can save me! Then I will shout and sing about your power to save.
15 Help me to speak, and I will praise you, Lord.
16 Offerings and sacrifices are not what you want.
17 The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won't refuse.
18 Please be willing, Lord, to help the city of Zion and to rebuild its walls.
19 Then you will be pleased with the proper sacrifices, and we will offer bulls on your altar once again.
1 (A special psalm by David for the music leader. He wrote this when Doeg from Edom went to Saul and said, "David has gone to Ahimelech's house.") You people may be strong and brag about your sins, but God can be trusted day after day.
2 You plan brutal crimes, and your lying words cut like a sharp razor.
3 You would rather do evil than good, and tell lies than speak the truth.
4 You love to say cruel things, and your words are a trap.
5 God will destroy you forever! He will grab you and drag you from your homes. You will be uprooted and left to die.
6 When good people see this fearsome sight, they will laugh and say,
7 "Just look at them now! Instead of trusting God, they trusted their wealth and their cruelty."
8 But I am like an olive tree growing in God's house, and I can count on his love forever and ever.
9 I will always thank God for what he has done; I will praise his good name when his people meet.
1 (A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath.") Only a fool would say, "There is no God!" People like that are worthless! They are heartless and cruel and never do right.
2 From heaven God looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for him.
3 But all of them are crooked and corrupt. Not one of them does right.
4 Won't you lawbreakers learn? You refuse to pray, and you gobble down the people of God.
5 But you will be terrified worse than ever before. God will scatter the bones of his enemies, and you will be ashamed when God rejects you.
6 I long for someone from Zion to come and save Israel! Our God, when you bless your people again, Jacob's family will be glad, and Israel will celebrate.
1 (For the music leader. Use with stringed instruments. A special psalm that David wrote when the people of Ziph went to Saul and said, "David is hiding here with us.") Save me, God, by your power and prove that I am right.
2 Listen to my prayer and hear what I say.
3 Cruel strangers have attacked and want me dead. Not one of them cares about you.
4 You will help me, Lord God, and keep me from falling;
5 you will punish my enemies for their evil deeds. Be my faithful friend and destroy them.
6 I will bring a gift and offer a sacrifice to you, LORD. I will praise your name because you are good.
7 You have rescued me from all of my troubles, and my own eyes have seen my enemies fall.
1 (A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.) Listen, God, to my prayer! Don't reject my request.
2 Please listen and help me. My thoughts are troubled, and I keep groaning
3 because my loud enemies shout and attack. They treat me terribly and hold angry grudges.
4 My heart is racing fast, and I am afraid of dying.
5 I am trembling with fear, completely terrified.
6 I wish I had wings like a dove, so I could fly far away and be at peace.
7 I would go and live in some distant desert.
8 I would quickly find shelter from howling winds and raging storms.
9 Confuse my enemies, Lord! Upset their plans. Cruelty and violence are all I see in the city,
10 and they are like guards on patrol day and night. The city is full of trouble, evil,
11 and corruption. Troublemakers and liars freely roam the streets.
12 My enemies are not the ones who sneer and make fun. I could put up with that or even hide from them.
13 But it was my closest friend, the one I trusted most.
14 We enjoyed being together, and we went with others to your house, our God.
15 All who hate me are controlled by the power of evil. Sentence them to death and send them down alive to the world of the dead.
16 I ask for your help, LORD God, and you will keep me safe.
17 Morning, noon, and night you hear my concerns and my complaints.
18 I am attacked from all sides, but you will rescue me unharmed by the battle.
19 You have always ruled, and you will hear me. You will defeat my enemies because they won't turn and worship you.
20 My friend turned against me and broke his promise.
21 His words were smoother than butter, and softer than olive oil. But hatred filled his heart, and he was ready to attack with a sword.
22 Our LORD, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us, and you won't let us fall.
23 But what about those people who are cruel and brutal? You will throw them down into the deepest pit long before their time. I trust you, LORD!
1 (For the music leader. To the tune "A Silent Dove in the Distance." A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.) Have pity, God Most High! My enemies chase me all day.
2 Many of them are pursuing and attacking me,
3 but even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you.
4 I praise your promises! I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.
5 Enemies spend the whole day finding fault with me; all they think about is how to do me harm.
6 They attack from ambush, watching my every step and hoping to kill me.
7 They won't get away with these crimes, God, because when you get angry, you destroy people.
8 You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.
9 When I pray, LORD God, my enemies will retreat, because I know for certain that you are with me.
10 I praise your promises!
11 I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.
12 I will keep my promises to you, my God, and bring you gifts.
13 You protected me from death and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please you and follow the light that leads to life.
1 (For the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." A special psalm by David when he was in the cave while running from Saul.) God Most High, have pity on me! Have mercy. I run to you for safety. In the shadow of your wings, I seek protection till danger dies down.
2 I pray to you, my protector.
3 You will send help from heaven and save me, but you will bring trouble on my attackers. You are faithful, and you can be trusted.
4 I live among lions, who gobble down people! They have spears and arrows instead of teeth, and they have sharp swords instead of tongues.
5 May you, my God, be honored above the heavens; may your glory be seen everywhere on earth.
6 Enemies set traps for my feet and struck me down. They dug a pit in my path, but fell in it themselves.
7 I am faithful to you, and you can trust me. I will sing and play music for you, my God.
8 I feel wide awake! I will wake up my harp and wake up the sun.
9 I will praise you, Lord, for everyone to hear, and I will sing hymns to you in every nation.
10 Your love reaches higher than the heavens; your loyalty extends beyond the clouds.
11 May you, my God, be honored above the heavens; may your glory be seen everywhere on earth.
1 (A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy.") Do you mighty people talk only to oppose justice? Don't you ever judge fairly?
2 You are always planning evil, and you are brutal.
3 You have done wrong and lied from the day you were born.
4 Your words spread poison like the bite of a cobra
5 that refuses to listen to the snake charmer.
6 My enemies are fierce as lions, LORD God! Shatter their teeth. Snatch out their fangs.
7 Make them disappear like leaking water, and make their arrows miss.
8 Let them dry up like snails or be like a child that dies before seeing the sun.
9 Wipe them out quicker than a pot can be heated by setting thorns on fire.
10 Good people will be glad when they see the wicked getting what they deserve, and they will wash their feet in their enemies' blood.
11 Everyone will say, "It's true! Good people are rewarded. God does rule the earth with justice."
1 (For the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." A special psalm by David when Saul had David's house watched so that he could kill him.) Save me, God! Protect me from enemy attacks!
2 Keep me safe from brutal people who want to kill me.
3 Merciless enemies, LORD, are hiding and plotting, hoping to kill me. I have not hurt them in any way at all.
4 But they are ready to attack. Do something! Help me! Look at what's happening.
5 LORD God All-Powerful, you are the God of Israel. Punish the other nations and don't pity those terrible and rebellious people.
6 My enemies return at evening, growling like dogs roaming the city.
7 They curse and their words cut like swords, as they say to themselves, "No one can hear us!"
8 You, LORD, laugh at them and sneer at the nations.
9 You are my mighty fortress, and I depend on you.
10 You love me and will let me see my enemies defeated.
11 Don't kill them, or everyone may forget! Just use your mighty power to make them tremble and fall. You are a shield for your people.
12 My enemies are liars! So let them be trapped by their boastful lies.
13 Get angry and destroy them. Leave them in ruin. Then all the nations will know that you rule in Israel.
14 Those liars return at evening, growling like dogs roaming the city.
15 They search for scraps of food, and they snarl until they are stuffed.
16 But I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love. You are my fortress, my place of protection in times of trouble.
17 I will sing your praises! You are my mighty fortress, and you love me.
1 (For the music leader. To the tune "Lily of the Promise." A special psalm by David for teaching. He wrote it during his wars with the Arameans of northern Syria, when Joab came back and killed twelve thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.) You, God, are angry with us! We are rejected and crushed. Make us strong again!
2 You made the earth shake and split wide open; now heal its wounds and stop its trembling.
3 You brought hard times on your people, and you gave us wine that made us stagger.
4 You gave a signal to those who worship you, so they could escape from enemy arrows.
5 Answer our prayers! Use your powerful arm and give us victory. Then the people you love will be safe.
6 Our God, you solemnly promised, "I would gladly divide up the city of Shechem and give away Succoth Valley piece by piece.
7 The lands of Gilead and Manasseh are mine. Ephraim is my war helmet, and Judah is the symbol of my royal power.
8 Moab is merely my washbasin. Edom belongs to me, and I shout in triumph over the Philistines."
9 Our God, who will bring me to the fortress, or lead me to Edom?
10 Have you rejected us and deserted our armies?
11 Help us defeat our enemies! No one else can rescue us.
12 You will give us victory and crush our enemies.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.) Please listen, God, and answer my prayer!
2 I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you from a faraway land. Lead me to the mighty rock high above me.
3 You are a strong tower, where I am safe from my enemies.
4 Let me live with you forever and find protection under your wings, my God.
5 You heard my promises, and you have blessed me, just as you bless everyone who worships you.
6 Let the king have a long and healthy life.
7 May he always rule with you, God, at his side; may your love and loyalty watch over him.
8 I will sing your praises forever and will always keep my promises.
1 (A psalm by David for Jeduthun, the music leader.) Only God can save me, and I calmly wait for him.
2 God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and the fortress where I am secure.
3 I feel like a shaky fence or a sagging wall. How long will all of you attack and assault me?
4 You want to bring me down from my place of honor. You love to tell lies, and when your words are kind, hatred hides in your heart.
5 Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.
6 God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure.
7 God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety.
8 Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety.
9 We humans are only a breath; none of us are truly great. All of us together weigh less than a puff of air.
10 Don't trust in violence or depend on dishonesty or rely on great wealth.
11 I heard God say two things: "I am powerful,
12 and I am very kind." The Lord rewards each of us according to what we do.
1 (A psalm by David when he was in the desert of Judah.) You are my God. I worship you. In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert.
2 I have seen your power and your glory in the place of worship.
3 Your love means more than life to me, and I praise you.
4 As long as I live, I will pray to you.
5 I will sing joyful praises and be filled with excitement like a guest at a banquet.
6 I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night.
7 You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings.
8 I stay close to you, and your powerful arm supports me.
9 All who want to kill me will end up in the ground.
10 Swords will run them through, and wild dogs will eat them.
11 Because of you, our God, the king will celebrate with your faithful followers, but liars will be silent.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Listen to my concerns, God, and protect me from my terrible enemies.
2 Keep me safe from secret plots of corrupt and evil gangs.
3 Their words cut like swords, and their cruel remarks sting like sharp arrows.
4 They fearlessly ambush and shoot innocent people.
5 They are determined to do evil, and they tell themselves, "Let's set traps! No one can see us."
6 They make evil plans and say, "We'll commit a perfect crime. No one knows our thoughts."
7 But God will shoot his arrows and quickly wound them.
8 They will be destroyed by their own words, and everyone who sees them will tremble with fear.
9 They will be afraid and say, "Look at what God has done and keep it all in mind."
10 May the LORD bless his people with peace and happiness and let them celebrate.
1 (A psalm by David and a song for the music leader.) Our God, you deserve praise in Zion, where we keep our promises to you.
2 Everyone will come to you because you answer prayer.
3 Our terrible sins get us down, but you forgive us.
4 You bless your chosen ones, and you invite them to live near you in your temple. We will enjoy your house, the sacred temple.
5 Our God, you save us, and your fearsome deeds answer our prayers for justice! You give hope to people everywhere on earth, even those across the sea.
6 You are strong, and your mighty power put the mountains in place.
7 You silence the roaring waves and the noisy shouts of the nations.
8 People far away marvel at your fearsome deeds, and all who live under the sun celebrate and sing because of you.
9 You take care of the earth and send rain to help the soil grow all kinds of crops. Your rivers never run dry, and you prepare the earth to produce much grain.
10 You water all of its fields and level the lumpy ground. You send showers of rain to soften the soil and help the plants sprout.
11 Wherever your footsteps touch the earth, a rich harvest is gathered.
12 Desert pastures blossom, and mountains celebrate.
13 Meadows are filled with sheep and goats; valleys overflow with grain and echo with joyful songs.
1 (A song and a psalm for the music leader.) Tell everyone on this earth to shout praises to God!
2 Sing about his glorious name. Honor him with praises.
3 Say to God, "Everything you do is fearsome, and your mighty power makes your enemies come crawling.
4 You are worshiped by everyone! We all sing praises to you."
5 Come and see the fearsome things our God has done!
6 When God made the sea dry up, our people walked across, and because of him, we celebrated there.
7 His mighty power rules forever, and nothing the nations do can be hidden from him. So don't turn against God.
8 All of you people, come praise our God! Let his praises be heard.
9 God protects us from death and keeps us steady.
10 Our God, you tested us, just as silver is tested.
11 You trapped us in a net and gave us heavy burdens.
12 You sent war chariots to crush our skulls. We traveled through fire and through floods, but you brought us to a land of plenty.
13 I will bring sacrifices into your house, my God, and I will do what I promised
14 when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice my best sheep and offer bulls and goats on your altar.
16 All who worship God, come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me.
17 I prayed to the Lord, and I praised him.
18 If my thoughts had been sinful, he would have refused to hear me.
19 But God did listen and answered my prayer.
20 Let's praise God! He listened when I prayed, and he is always kind.
1 (A psalm and a song for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.) Our God, be kind and bless us! Be pleased and smile.
2 Then everyone on earth will learn to follow you, and all nations will see your power to save us.
3 Make everyone praise you and shout your praises.
4 Let the nations celebrate with joyful songs, because you judge fairly and guide all nations.
5 Make everyone praise you and shout your praises.
6 Our God has blessed the earth with a wonderful harvest!
7 Pray for his blessings to continue and for everyone on earth to worship our God.
1 (A psalm and a song by David for the music leader.) Do something, God! Scatter your hateful enemies. Make them turn and run.
2 Scatter them like smoke! When you come near, make them melt like wax in a fire.
3 But let your people be happy and celebrate because of you.
4 Our God, you are the one who rides on the clouds, and we praise you. Your name is the LORD, and we celebrate as we worship you.
5 Our God, from your sacred home you take care of orphans and protect widows.
6 You find families for those who are lonely. You set prisoners free and let them prosper, but all who rebel will live in a scorching desert.
7 You set your people free, and you led them through the desert.
8 God of Israel, the earth trembled, and rain poured down. You alone are the God who rules from Mount Sinai.
9 When your land was thirsty, you sent showers to refresh it.
10 Your people settled there, and you were generous to everyone in need.
11 You gave the command, and a chorus of women told what had happened:
12 "Kings and their armies retreated and ran, and everything they left is now being divided.
13 And for those who stayed back to guard the sheep, there are metal doves with silver-coated wings and shiny gold feathers."
14 God All-Powerful, you scattered the kings like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.
15 Our LORD and our God, Bashan is a mighty mountain covered with peaks.
16 Why is it jealous of Zion, the mountain you chose as your home forever?
17 When you, LORD God, appeared to your people at Sinai, you came with thousands of mighty chariots.
18 When you climbed the high mountain, you took prisoners with you and were given gifts. Your enemies didn't want you to live there, but they gave you gifts.
19 We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us.
20 You always protect us and save us from death.
21 Our Lord and our God, your terrible enemies are ready for war, but you will crush their skulls.
22 You promised to bring them from Bashan and from the deepest sea.
23 Then we could stomp on their blood, and our dogs could chew on their bones.
24 We have seen crowds marching to your place of worship, our God and King.
25 The singers come first, and then the musicians, surrounded by young women playing tambourines.
26 They come shouting, "People of Israel, praise the LORD God!"
27 The small tribe of Benjamin leads the way, followed by the leaders from Judah. Then come the leaders from Zebulun and Naphtali.
28 Our God, show your strength! Show us once again.
29 Then kings will bring gifts to your temple in Jerusalem.
30 Punish that animal that lives in the swamp! Punish that nation whose leaders and people are like wild bulls. Make them come crawling with gifts of silver. Scatter those nations that enjoy making war.
31 Force the Egyptians to bring gifts of bronze; make the Ethiopians hurry to offer presents.
32 Now sing praises to God! Every kingdom on earth, sing to the Lord!
33 Praise the one who rides across the ancient skies; listen as he speaks with a mighty voice.
34 Tell about God's power! He is honored in Israel, and he rules the skies.
35 The God of Israel is fearsome in his temple, and he makes us strong. Let's praise our God!
1 (By David for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies.") Save me, God! I am about to drown.
2 I am sinking deep in the mud, and my feet are slipping. I am about to be swept under by a mighty flood.
3 I am worn out from crying, and my throat is dry. I have waited for you till my eyes are blurred.
4 There are more people who hate me for no reason than there are hairs on my head. Many terrible enemies want to destroy me, God. Am I supposed to give back something I didn't steal?
5 You know my foolish sins. Not one is hidden from you.
6 LORD God All-Powerful, ruler of Israel, don't let me embarrass anyone who trusts and worships you.
7 It is for your sake alone that I am insulted and blush with shame.
8 I am like a stranger to my relatives and like a foreigner to my own family.
9 My love for your house burns in me like a fire, and when others insulted you, they insulted me as well.
10 I cried and went without food, but they still insulted me.
11 They sneered at me for wearing sackcloth to show my sorrow.
12 Rulers and judges gossip about me, and drunkards make up songs to mock me.
13 But I pray to you, LORD. So when the time is right, answer me and help me with your wonderful love.
14 Don't let me sink in the mud, but save me from my enemies and from the deep water.
15 Don't let me be swept away by a flood or drowned in the ocean or swallowed by death.
16 Answer me, LORD! You are kind and good. Pay attention to me! You are truly merciful.
17 Don't turn away from me. I am your servant, and I am in trouble. Please hurry and help!
18 Come and save me from my enemies.
19 You know how I am insulted, mocked, and disgraced; you know every one of my enemies.
20 I am crushed by insults, and I feel sick. I had hoped for mercy and pity, but there was none.
21 Enemies poisoned my food, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar.
22 Make their table a trap for them and their friends.
23 Blind them with darkness and make them tremble.
24 Show them how angry you are! Be furious and catch them.
25 Destroy their camp and don't let anyone live in their tents.
26 They cause trouble for people you have already punished; their gossip hurts those you have wounded.
27 Make them guiltier than ever and don't forgive them.
28 Wipe their names from the book of the living; remove them from the list of the innocent.
29 I am mistreated and in pain. Protect me, God, and keep me safe!
30 I will praise the LORD God with a song and a thankful heart.
31 This will please the LORD better than offering an ox or a full-grown bull.
32 When those in need see this, they will be happy, and the LORD's worshipers will be encouraged.
33 The LORD will listen when the homeless cry out, and he will never forget his people in prison.
34 Heaven and earth will praise our God, and so will the oceans and everything in them.
35 God will rescue Jerusalem, and he will rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there on their own land,
36 and when the time comes, their children will inherit the land. Then everyone who loves God will also settle there.
1 (By David for the music leader. To be used when an offering is made.) Save me, LORD God! Hurry and help.
2 Disappoint and confuse all who want to kill me. Turn away and disgrace all who want to hurt me.
3 Embarrass and shame those who say, "We told you so!"
4 Let your worshipers celebrate and be glad because of you. They love your saving power, so let them always say, "God is wonderful!"
5 I am poor and needy, but you, the LORD God, care about me. You are the one who saves me. Please hurry and help!
1 I run to you, LORD, for protection. Don't disappoint me.
2 You do what is right, so come to my rescue. Listen to my prayer and keep me safe.
3 Be my mighty rock, the place where I can always run for protection. Save me by your command! You are my mighty rock and my fortress.
4 Come and save me, LORD God, from vicious and cruel and brutal enemies!
5 I depend on you, and I have trusted you since I was young.
6 I have relied on you from the day I was born. You brought me safely through birth, and I always praise you.
7 Many people think of me as something evil. But you are my mighty protector,
8 and I praise and honor you all day long.
9 Don't throw me aside when I am old; don't desert me when my strength is gone.
10 My enemies are plotting because they want me dead.
11 They say, "Now we'll catch you! God has deserted you, and no one can save you."
12 Come closer, God! Please hurry and help.
13 Embarrass and destroy all who want me dead; disgrace and confuse all who want to hurt me.
14 I will never give up hope or stop praising you.
15 All day long I will tell the wonderful things you do to save your people. But you have done much more than I could possibly know.
16 I will praise you, LORD God, for your mighty deeds and your power to save.
17 You have taught me since I was a child, and I never stop telling about your marvelous deeds.
18 Don't leave me when I am old and my hair turns gray. Let me tell future generations about your mighty power.
19 Your deeds of kindness are known in the heavens. No one is like you!
20 You made me suffer a lot, but you will bring me back from this deep pit and give me new life.
21 You will make me truly great and take my sorrow away.
22 I will praise you, God, the Holy One of Israel. You are faithful. I will play the harp and sing your praises.
23 You have rescued me! I will celebrate and shout, singing praises to you with all my heart.
24 All day long I will announce your power to save. I will tell how you disgraced and disappointed those who wanted to hurt me.
1 (By Solomon.) Please help the king to be honest and fair just like you, our God.
2 Let him be honest and fair with all your people, especially the poor.
3 Let peace and justice rule every mountain and hill.
4 Let the king defend the poor, rescue the homeless, and crush everyone who hurts them.
5 Let the king live forever like the sun and the moon.
6 Let him be as helpful as rain that refreshes the meadows and the ground.
7 Let the king be fair with everyone, and let there be peace until the moon falls from the sky.
8 Let his kingdom reach from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River across all the earth.
9 Force the desert tribes to accept his rule, and make his enemies crawl in the dirt.
10 Force the rulers of Tarshish and of the islands to pay taxes to him. Make the kings of Sheba and of Seba bring gifts.
11 Make other rulers bow down and all nations serve him.
12 Do this because the king rescues the homeless when they cry out, and he helps everyone who is poor and in need.
13 The king has pity on the weak and the helpless and protects those in need.
14 He cares when they hurt, and he saves them from cruel and violent deaths.
15 Long live the king! Give him gold from Sheba. Always pray for the king and praise him each day.
16 Let cities overflow with food and hills be covered with grain, just like Mount Lebanon. Let the people in the cities prosper like wild flowers.
17 May the glory of the king shine brightly forever like the sun in the sky. Let him make nations prosper and learn to praise him.
18 LORD God of Israel, we praise you. Only you can work miracles.
19 We will always praise your glorious name. Let your glory be seen everywhere on earth. Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers of David, the son of Jesse.
1 (A psalm by Asaph.) God is truly good to Israel, especially to everyone with a pure heart.
2 But I almost stumbled and fell,
3 because it made me jealous to see proud and evil people and to watch them prosper.
4 They never have to suffer, they stay healthy,
5 and they don't have troubles like everyone else.
6 Their pride is like a necklace, and they commit sin more often than they dress themselves.
7 Their eyes poke out with fat, and their minds are flooded with foolish thoughts.
8 They sneer and say cruel things, and because of their pride, they make violent threats.
9 They dare to speak against God and to order others around.
10 God will bring his people back, and they will drink the water he so freely gives.
11 Only evil people would say, "God Most High cannot know everything!"
12 Yet all goes well for them, and they live in peace.
13 What good did it do me to keep my thoughts pure and refuse to do wrong?
14 I am sick all day, and I am punished each morning.
15 If I had said evil things, I would not have been loyal to your people.
16 It was hard for me to understand all this!
17 Then I went to your temple, and there I understood what will happen to my enemies.
18 You will make them stumble, never to get up again.
19 They will be terrified, suddenly swept away and no longer there.
20 They will disappear, Lord, despised like a bad dream the morning after.
21 Once I was bitter and brokenhearted.
22 I was stupid and ignorant, and I treated you as a wild animal would.
23 But I never really left you, and you hold my right hand.
24 Your advice has been my guide, and later you will welcome me in glory.
25 In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want.
26 My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.
27 Powerful LORD God, all who stay far from you will be lost, and you will destroy those who are unfaithful.
28 It is good for me to be near you. I choose you as my protector, and I will tell about your wonderful deeds.
1 (A special psalm by Asaph.) Our God, why have you completely rejected us? Why are you so angry with the ones you care for?
2 Remember the people you rescued long ago, the tribe you chose to be your very own. Think of Mount Zion, your home;
3 walk over to the temple left in ruins forever by those who hate us.
4 Your enemies roared like lions in your holy temple, and they have placed their banners there.
5 It looks like a forest chopped to pieces.
6 They used axes and hatchets to smash the carvings.
7 They burned down your temple and badly disgraced it.
8 They said to themselves, "We'll crush them!" Then they burned every one of your meeting places all over the country.
9 There are no more miracles and no more prophets. Who knows how long it will be like this?
10 Our God, how much longer will our enemies sneer? Won't they ever stop insulting you?
11 Why don't you punish them? Why are you holding back?
12 Our God and King, you have ruled since ancient times; you have won victories everywhere on this earth.
13 By your power you made a path through the sea, and you smashed the heads of sea monsters.
14 You crushed the heads of the monster Leviathan, then fed him to wild creatures in the desert.
15 You opened the ground for streams and springs and dried up mighty rivers.
16 You rule the day and the night, and you put the moon and the sun in place.
17 You made summer and winter and gave them to the earth.
18 Remember your enemies, LORD! They foolishly sneer and won't respect you.
19 You treat us like pet doves, but they mistreat us. Don't keep forgetting us and letting us be fed to those wild animals.
20 Remember the agreement you made with us. Violent enemies are hiding in every dark corner of the earth.
21 Don't disappoint those in need or make them turn from you, but help the poor and homeless to shout your praises.
22 Do something, God! Defend yourself. Remember how those fools sneer at you all day long.
23 Don't forget the loud shouts of your enemies.
1 (A psalm and a song by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy.") Our God, we thank you for being so near to us! Everyone celebrates your wonderful deeds.
2 You have set a time to judge with fairness.
3 The earth trembles, and its people shake; you alone keep its foundations firm.
4 You tell every bragger, "Stop bragging!" And to the wicked you say, "Don't boast of your power!
5 Stop bragging! Quit telling me how great you are."
6 Our LORD and our God, victory doesn't come from the east or the west or from the desert.
7 You are the one who judges. You can take away power and give it to others.
8 You hold in your hand a cup filled with wine, strong and foaming. You will pour out some for every sinful person on this earth, and they will have to drink until it is gone.
9 But I will always tell about you, the God of Jacob, and I will sing your praise.
10 Our Lord, you will destroy the power of evil people, but you will give strength to those who are good.
1 (A song and a psalm for the music leader. Use stringed instruments.) You, our God, are famous in Judah and honored in Israel.
2 Your home is on Mount Zion in the city of peace.
3 There you destroyed fiery arrows, shields, swords, and all the other weapons.
4 You are more glorious than the eternal mountains.
5 Brave warriors were robbed of what they had taken, and now they lie dead, unable to lift an arm.
6 God of Jacob, when you roar, enemy chariots and horses drop dead in their tracks.
7 Our God, you are fearsome, and no one can oppose you when you are angry.
8 From heaven you announced your decisions as judge! And all who live on this earth were terrified and silent
9 when you took over as judge, ready to rescue everyone in need.
10 Even the most angry people will praise you when you are furious.
11 Everyone, make your promises to the LORD your God and do what you promise. The LORD is fearsome, and all of his servants should bring him gifts.
12 God destroys the courage of rulers and kings and makes cowards of them.
1 (A psalm by Asaph for Jeduthun, the music leader.) I pray to you, Lord God, and I beg you to listen.
2 In days filled with trouble, I search for you. And at night I tirelessly lift my hands in prayer, refusing comfort.
3 When I think of you, I feel restless and weak.
4 Because of you, Lord God, I can't sleep. I am restless and can't even talk.
5 I think of times gone by, of those years long ago.
6 Each night my mind is flooded with questions:
7 "Have you rejected me forever? Won't you be kind again?
8 Is this the end of your love and your promises?
9 Have you forgotten how to have pity? Do you refuse to show mercy because of your anger?"
10 Then I said, "God Most High, what hurts me most is that you no longer help us with your mighty arm."
11 Our LORD, I will remember the things you have done, your miracles of long ago.
12 I will think about each one of your mighty deeds.
13 Everything you do is right, and no other god compares with you.
14 You alone work miracles, and you have let nations see your mighty power.
15 With your own arm you rescued your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The ocean looked at you, God, and it trembled deep down with fear.
17 Water flowed from the clouds. Thunder was heard above as your arrows of lightning flashed about.
18 Your thunder roared like chariot wheels. The world was made bright by lightning, and all the earth trembled.
19 You walked through the water of the mighty sea, but your footprints were never seen.
20 You guided your people like a flock of sheep, and you chose Moses and Aaron to be their leaders.
1 (A special psalm by Asaph.) My friends, I beg you to listen as I teach.
2 I will give instruction and explain the mystery of what happened long ago.
3 These are things we learned from our ancestors,
4 and we will tell them to the next generation. We won't keep secret the glorious deeds and the mighty miracles of the LORD.
5 God gave his Law to Jacob's descendants, the people of Israel. And he told our ancestors to teach their children,
6 so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next.
7 Then they would trust God and obey his teachings, without forgetting anything God had done.
8 They would be different from their ancestors, who were stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful to God.
9 The warriors from Ephraim were armed with arrows, but they ran away when the battle began.
10 They broke their agreement with God, and they turned their backs on his teaching.
11 They forgot all he had done, even the mighty miracles
12 he did for their ancestors near Zoan in Egypt.
13 God made a path in the sea and piled up the water as he led them across.
14 He guided them during the day with a cloud, and each night he led them with a flaming fire.
15 God made water flow from rocks he split open in the desert, and his people drank freely, as though from a lake.
16 He made streams gush out like rivers from rocks.
17 But in the desert, the people of God Most High kept sinning and rebelling.
18 They stubbornly tested God and demanded from him what they wanted to eat.
19 They challenged God by saying, "Can God provide food out here in the desert?
20 It's true God struck the rock and water gushed out like a river, but can he give his people bread and meat?"
21 When the LORD heard this, he was angry and furious with Jacob's descendants, the people of Israel.
22 They had refused to trust him, and they had doubted his saving power.
23 But God gave a command to the clouds, and he opened the doors in the skies.
24 From heaven he sent grain that they called manna.
25 He gave them more than enough, and each one of them ate this special food.
26 God's mighty power brought a strong wind from the southeast,
27 and it brought birds that covered the ground, like sand on the beach.
28 Then God made the birds fall in the camp of his people near their tents.
29 God gave his people all they wanted, and each of them ate until they were full.
30 But before they had swallowed the last bite,
31 God became angry and killed the strongest and best from the families of Israel.
32 But the rest kept on sinning and would not trust God's miracles.
33 So he cut their lives short and made them terrified.
34 After he killed some of them, the others turned to him with all their hearts.
35 They remembered God Most High, the mighty rock that kept them safe.
36 But they tried to flatter God, and they told him lies;
37 they were unfaithful and broke their promises.
38 Yet God was kind. He kept forgiving their sins and didn't destroy them. He often became angry, but never lost his temper.
39 God remembered that they were made of flesh and were like a wind that blows once and then dies down.
40 While they were in the desert, they often rebelled and made God sad.
41 They kept testing him and caused terrible pain for the Holy One of Israel.
42 They forgot about his power and how he had rescued them from their enemies.
43 God showed them all kinds of wonderful miracles near Zoan in Egypt.
44 He turned the rivers of Egypt into blood, and no one could drink from the streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies to pester the Egyptians, and he sent frogs to cause them trouble.
46 God let worms and grasshoppers eat their crops.
47 He destroyed their grapevines and their fig trees with hail and floods.
48 Then he killed their cattle with hail and their other animals with lightning.
49 God was so angry and furious that he went into a rage and caused them great trouble by sending swarms of destroying angels.
50 God gave in to his anger and slaughtered them in a terrible way.
51 He killed the first-born son of each Egyptian family.
52 Then God led his people out of Egypt and guided them in the desert like a flock of sheep.
53 He led them safely along, and they were not afraid, but their enemies drowned in the sea.
54 God brought his people to the sacred mountain that he had taken by his own power.
55 He made nations run from the tribes of Israel, and he let the tribes take over their land.
56 But the people tested God Most High, and they refused to obey his laws.
57 They were as unfaithful as their ancestors, and they were as crooked as a twisted arrow.
58 God demanded all their love, but they made him angry by worshiping idols.
59 So God became furious and completely rejected the people of Israel.
60 Then he deserted his home at Shiloh, where he lived here on earth.
61 He let enemies capture the sacred chest and let them dishonor him.
62 God took out his anger on his chosen ones and let them be killed by enemy swords.
63 Fire destroyed the young men, and the young women were left with no one to marry.
64 Priests died violent deaths, but their widows were not allowed to mourn.
65 Finally the Lord woke up, and he shouted like a drunken soldier.
66 God scattered his enemies and made them ashamed forever.
67 Then the Lord decided not to make his home with Joseph's descendants in Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah, and he chose Mount Zion, the place he loves.
69 There he built his temple as lofty as the mountains and as solid as the earth that he had made to last forever.
70 The Lord God chose David to be his servant and took him from tending sheep
71 and from caring for lambs. Then God made him the leader of Israel, his own nation.
72 David treated the people fairly and guided them with wisdom.
1 (A psalm by Asaph.) Our God, foreign nations have taken your land, disgraced your temple, and left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have fed the bodies of your servants to flesh-eating birds; your loyal people are food for savage animals.
3 All Jerusalem is covered with their blood, and there is no one left to bury them.
4 Every nation around us sneers and makes fun.
5 Our LORD, will you keep on being angry? Will your angry feelings keep flaming up like fire?
6 Get angry with those nations that don't know you and won't worship you!
7 They have gobbled down Jacob's descendants and left the land in ruins.
8 Don't make us pay for the sins of our ancestors. Have pity and come quickly! We are completely helpless.
9 Our God, you keep us safe. Now help us! Rescue us. Forgive our sins and bring honor to yourself.
10 Why should nations ask us, "Where is your God?" Let us and the other nations see you take revenge for your servants who died a violent death.
11 Listen to the prisoners groan! Let your mighty power save all who are sentenced to die.
12 Each of those nations sneered at you, our Lord. Now let others sneer at them, seven times as much.
13 Then we, your people, will always thank you. We are like sheep with you as our shepherd, and all generations will hear us praise you.
1 (A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies of the Agreement.") Shepherd of Israel, you lead the descendants of Joseph, and you sit on your throne above the winged creatures. Listen to our prayer and let your light shine
2 for the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Save us by your power.
3 Our God, make us strong again! Smile on us and save us.
4 LORD God All-Powerful, how much longer will the prayers of your people make you angry?
5 You gave us tears for food, and you made us drink them by the bowlful.
6 Because of you, our enemies who live nearby laugh and joke about us.
7 But if you smile on us, we will be saved.
8 We were like a grapevine you brought out of Egypt. You chased other nations away and planted us here.
9 Then you cleared the ground, and we put our roots deep, spreading over the land.
10 Shade from this vine covered the mountains. Its branches climbed the mighty cedars
11 and stretched to the sea; its new growth reached to the river.
12 Our Lord, why have you torn down the wall from around the vineyard? You let everyone who walks by pick the grapes.
13 Now the vine is gobbled down by pigs from the forest and other wild animals.
14 God All-Powerful, please do something! Look down from heaven and see what's happening to this vine.
15 With your own hands you planted its roots, and you raised it as your very own.
16 Enemies chopped the vine down and set it on fire. Now show your anger and destroy them.
17 But help the one who sits at your right side, the one you raised to be your own.
18 Then we will never turn away. Put new life into us, and we will worship you.
19 LORD God All-Powerful, make us strong again! Smile on us and save us.
1 (By Asaph for the music leader.) Be happy and shout to God who makes us strong! Shout praises to the God of Jacob.
2 Sing as you play tambourines and the lovely sounding stringed instruments.
3 Sound the trumpets and start the New Moon Festival. We must also celebrate when the moon is full.
4 This is the law in Israel, and it was given to us by the God of Jacob.
5 The descendants of Joseph were told to obey it, when God led them out from the land of Egypt. In a language unknown to me, I heard someone say:
6 "I lifted the burden from your shoulder and took the heavy basket from your hands.
7 When you were in trouble, I rescued you, and from the thunderclouds, I answered your prayers. Later I tested you at Meribah Spring.
8 "Listen, my people, while I, the Lord, correct you! Israel, if you would only pay attention to me!
9 Don't worship foreign gods or bow down to gods you know nothing about.
10 I am the LORD your God. I rescued you from Egypt. Just ask, and I will give you whatever you need.
11 "But, my people, Israel, you refused to listen, and you would have nothing to do with me!
12 So I let you be stubborn and keep on following your own advice.
13 "My people, Israel, if only you would listen and do as I say!
14 I, the LORD, would quickly defeat your enemies with my mighty power.
15 Everyone who hates me would come crawling, and that would be the end of them.
16 But I would feed you with the finest bread and with the best honey until you were full."
1 (A psalm by Asaph.) When all of the other gods have come together, the Lord God judges them and says:
2 "How long will you keep judging unfairly and favoring evil people?
3 Be fair to the poor and to orphans. Defend the helpless and everyone in need.
4 Rescue the weak and homeless from the powerful hands of heartless people.
5 "None of you know or understand a thing. You live in darkness, while the foundations of the earth tremble.
6 "I, the Most High God, say that all of you are gods and also my own children.
7 But you will die, just like everyone else, including powerful rulers."
8 Do something, God! Judge the nations of the earth; they belong to you.
1 (A song and a psalm by Asaph.) Our God, don't just sit there, silently doing nothing!
2 Your hateful enemies are turning against you and rebelling.
3 They are sly, and they plot against those you treasure.
4 They say, "Let's wipe out the nation of Israel and make sure that no one remembers its name!"
5 All of them fully agree in their plans against you, and among them are
6 Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia and Phoenicia.
8 Even Assyria has joined forces with Moab and Ammon.
9 Our Lord, punish all of them as you punished Midian. Destroy them, as you destroyed Sisera and Jabin at Kishon Creek
10 near Endor, and let their bodies rot.
11 Treat their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 All of them said, "We'll take God's valuable land!"
13 Our God, scatter them around like dust in a whirlwind.
14 Just as flames destroy forests on the mountains,
15 pursue and terrify them with storms of your own.
16 Make them blush with shame, until they turn and worship you, our LORD.
17 Let them be forever ashamed and confused. Let them die in disgrace.
18 Make them realize that you are the LORD Most High, the only ruler of earth!
1 (For the music leader. A psalm for the people of Korah.) LORD God All-Powerful, your temple is so lovely!
2 Deep in my heart I long for your temple, and with all that I am I sing joyful songs to you.
3 LORD God All-Powerful, my King and my God, sparrows find a home near your altars; swallows build nests there to raise their young.
4 You bless everyone who lives in your house, and they sing your praises.
5 You bless all who depend on you for their strength and all who deeply desire to visit your temple.
6 When they reach Dry Valley, springs start flowing, and the autumn rain fills it with pools of water.
7 Your people grow stronger, and you, the God of gods, will be seen in Zion.
8 LORD God All-Powerful, the God of Jacob, please answer my prayer!
9 You are the shield that protects your people, and I am your chosen one. Won't you smile on me?
10 One day in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather serve in your house, than live in the homes of the wicked.
11 Our LORD and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right.
12 LORD God All-Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.
1 (A psalm by the people of Korah for the music leader.) Our LORD, you have blessed your land and made all go well for Jacob's descendants.
2 You have forgiven the sin and taken away the guilt of your people.
3 Your fierce anger is no longer aimed at us.
4 Our LORD and our God, you save us! Please bring us back home and don't be angry.
5 Will you always be angry with us and our families?
6 Won't you give us fresh life and let your people be glad because of you?
7 Show us your love and save us!
8 I will listen to you, LORD God, because you promise peace to those who are faithful and no longer foolish.
9 You are ready to rescue everyone who worships you, so that you will live with us in all of your glory.
10 Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite.
11 Loyalty will sprout from the ground; justice will look down from the sky above.
12 Our LORD, you will bless us; our land will produce wonderful crops.
13 Justice will march in front, making a path for you to follow.
1 (A prayer by David.) Please listen, LORD, and answer my prayer! I am poor and helpless.
2 Protect me and save me because you are my God. I am your faithful servant, and I trust you.
3 Be kind to me! I pray to you all day.
4 Make my heart glad! I serve you, and my prayer is sincere.
5 You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you.
6 Please listen, LORD! Answer my prayer for help.
7 When I am in trouble, I pray, knowing you will listen.
8 No other gods are like you; only you work miracles.
9 You created each nation, and they will all bow down to worship and honor you.
10 You perform great wonders because you alone are God.
11 Teach me to follow you, and I will obey your truth. Always keep me faithful.
12 With all my heart I thank you. I praise you, LORD God.
13 Your love for me is so great that you protected me from death and the grave.
14 Proud and violent enemies, who don't care about you, have ganged up to attack and kill me.
15 But you, the Lord God, are kind and merciful. You don't easily get angry, and your love can always be trusted.
16 I serve you, LORD, and I am the child of one of your servants. Look on me with kindness. Make me strong and save me.
17 Show that you approve of me! Then my hateful enemies will feel like fools, because you have helped and comforted me.
1 (A psalm and a song by the people of Korah.) Zion was built by the LORD on the holy mountain,
2 and he loves that city more than any other place in all of Israel.
3 Zion, you are the city of God, and wonderful things are told about you.
4 Egypt, Babylonia, Philistia, Phoenicia, and Ethiopia are some of those nations that know you, and their people all say, "I was born in Zion."
5 God Most High will strengthen the city of Zion. Then everyone will say, "We were born here too."
6 The LORD will make a list of his people, and all who were born here will be included.
7 All who sing or dance will say, "I too am from Zion."
1 (A song and a psalm by the people of Korah for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath Leannoth." A special psalm by Heman the Ezrahite.) You keep me safe, LORD God. So when I pray at night,
2 please listen carefully to each of my concerns.
3 I am deeply troubled and close to death;
4 I am as good as dead and completely helpless.
5 I am no better off than those in the grave, those you have forgotten and no longer help.
6 You have put me in the deepest and darkest grave;
7 your anger rolls over me like ocean waves.
8 You have made my friends turn in horror from me. I am a prisoner who cannot escape,
9 and I am almost blind because of my sorrow. Each day I lift my hands in prayer to you, LORD.
10 Do you work miracles for the dead? Do they stand up and praise you?
11 Are your love and loyalty announced in the world of the dead?
12 Do they know of your miracles or your saving power in the dark world below where all is forgotten?
13 Each morning I pray to you, LORD.
14 Why do you reject me? Why do you turn from me?
15 Ever since I was a child, I have been sick and close to death. You have terrified me and made me helpless.
16 Your anger is like a flood! And I am shattered by your furious attacks
17 that strike each day and from every side.
18 My friends and neighbors have turned against me because of you, and now darkness is my only companion.
1 (A special psalm by Ethan the Ezrahite.) Our LORD, I will sing of your love forever. Everyone yet to be born will hear me praise your faithfulness.
2 I will tell them, "God's love can always be trusted, and his faithfulness lasts as long as the heavens."
3 You said, "David, my servant, is my chosen one, and this is the agreement I made with him:
4 David, one of your descendants will always be king."
5 Our LORD, let the heavens now praise your miracles, and let all of your angels praise your faithfulness.
6 None who live in the heavens can compare with you.
7 You are the most fearsome of all who live in heaven; all the others fear and greatly honor you.
8 You are LORD God All-Powerful! No one is as loving and faithful as you are.
9 You rule the roaring sea and calm its waves.
10 You crushed the monster Rahab, and with your powerful arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens and the earth belong to you. And so does the world with all its people because you created them
12 and everything else. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon gladly praise you.
13 You are strong and mighty!
14 Your kingdom is ruled by justice and fairness with love and faithfulness leading the way.
15 Our LORD, you bless those who join in the festival and walk in the brightness of your presence.
16 We are happy all day because of you, and your saving power brings honor to us.
17 Your own glorious power makes us strong, and because of your kindness, our strength increases.
18 Our LORD and our King, the Holy One of Israel, you are truly our shield.
19 In a vision, you once said to your faithful followers: "I have helped a mighty hero. I chose him from my people and made him famous.
20 David, my servant, is the one I chose to be king,
21 and I will always be there to help and strengthen him.
22 "No enemy will outsmart David, and he won't be defeated by any hateful people.
23 I will strike down and crush his troublesome enemies.
24 He will always be able to depend on my love, and I will make him strong with my own power.
25 I will let him rule the lands across the rivers and seas.
26 He will say to me, 'You are my Father and my God, as well as the mighty rock where I am safe.'
27 "I have chosen David as my first-born son, and he will be the ruler of all kings on earth.
28 My love for him will last, and my agreement with him will never be broken.
29 "One of David's descendants will always be king, and his family will rule until the sky disappears.
30 Suppose some of his children should reject my Law and refuse my instructions.
31 Or suppose they should disobey all of my teachings.
32 Then I will correct and punish them because of their sins.
33 But I will always love David and faithfully keep all of my promises to him.
34 "I won't break my agreement or go back on my word.
35 I have sworn once and for all by my own holy name, and I won't lie to David.
36 His family will always rule. I will let his kingdom last as long as the sun
37 and moon appear in the sky."
38 You are now angry, God, and you have turned your back on your chosen king.
39 You broke off your agreement with your servant, the king, and you completely destroyed his kingdom.
40 The walls of his city have been broken through, and every fortress now lies in ruin.
41 All who pass by take what they want, and nations everywhere joke about the king.
42 You made his enemies powerful and let them celebrate.
43 But you forced him to retreat because you did not fight on his side.
44 You took his crown and threw his throne in the dirt.
45 You made an old man of him and put him to shame.
46 How much longer, LORD? Will you hide forever? How long will your anger keep burning like fire?
47 Remember, life is short! Why did you empty our lives of all meaning?
48 No one can escape the power of death and the grave.
49 Our Lord, where is the love you have always shown and that you promised so faithfully to David?
50 Remember your servant, Lord! People make jokes about me, and I suffer many insults.
51 I am your chosen one, but your enemies chase and make fun of me.
52 Our LORD, we praise you forever. Amen and amen.
1 (A prayer by Moses, the man of God.) Our Lord, in all generations you have been our home.
2 You have always been God-- long before the birth of the mountains, even before you created the earth and the world.
3 At your command we die and turn back to dust,
4 but a thousand years mean nothing to you! They are merely a day gone by or a few hours in the night.
5 You bring our lives to an end just like a dream. We are merely tender grass
6 that sprouts and grows in the morning, but dries up by evening.
7 Your furious anger frightens and destroys us,
8 and you know all of our sins, even those we do in secret.
9 Your anger is a burden each day we live, then life ends like a sigh.
10 We can expect seventy years, or maybe eighty, if we are healthy, but even our best years bring trouble and sorrow. Suddenly our time is up, and we disappear.
11 No one knows the full power of your furious anger, but it is as great as the fear that we owe to you.
12 Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
13 Help us, LORD! Don't wait! Pity your servants.
14 When morning comes, let your love satisfy all our needs. Then we can celebrate and be glad for what time we have left.
15 Make us happy for as long as you caused us trouble and sorrow.
16 Do wonderful things for us, your servants, and show your mighty power to our children.
17 Our Lord and our God, treat us with kindness and let all go well for us. Please let all go well!
1 Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.
2 Then you will say to the LORD, "You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you."
3 The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases.
4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall.
5 You won't need to worry about dangers at night or arrows during the day.
6 And you won't fear diseases that strike in the dark or sudden disaster at noon.
7 You will not be harmed, though thousands fall all around you.
8 And with your own eyes you will see the punishment of the wicked.
9 The LORD Most High is your fortress. Run to him for safety,
10 and no terrible disasters will strike you or your home.
11 God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will carry you in their arms, and you won't hurt your feet on the stones.
13 You will overpower the strongest lions and the most deadly snakes.
14 The Lord says, "If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe.
15 When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you.
16 You will live a long life and see my saving power."
1 (A psalm and a song for the Sabbath.) It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, LORD Most High!
2 It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are.
3 I enjoy praising your name to the music of harps,
4 because everything you do makes me happy, and I sing joyful songs.
5 You do great things, LORD. Your thoughts are too deep
6 for an ignorant fool to know or understand.
7 Though the wicked sprout and spread like grass, they will be pulled up by their roots.
8 But you will rule over all of us forever,
9 and your hateful enemies will be scattered and then destroyed.
10 You have given me the strength of a wild ox, and you have chosen me to be your very own.
11 My eyes have seen, and my ears have heard the doom and destruction of my terrible enemies.
12 Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 They will take root in your house, LORD God, and they will do well.
14 They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful, even when they are old.
15 And they will say about you, "The LORD always does right! God is our mighty rock."
1 Our LORD, you are King! Majesty and power are your royal robes. You put the world in place, and it will never be moved.
2 You have always ruled, and you are eternal.
3 The ocean is roaring, LORD! The sea is pounding hard.
4 Its mighty waves are majestic, but you are more majestic, and you rule over all.
5 Your decisions are firm, and your temple will always be beautiful and holy.
1 LORD God, you punish the guilty. Show what you are like and punish them now.
2 You judge the earth. Come and help us! Pay back those proud people for what they have done.
3 How long will the wicked celebrate and be glad?
4 All of those cruel people strut and boast,
5 and they crush and wound your chosen nation, LORD.
6 They murder widows, foreigners, and orphans.
7 Then they say, "The LORD God of Jacob doesn't see or know."
8 Can't you fools see? Won't you ever learn?
9 God gave us ears and eyes! Can't he hear and see?
10 God instructs the nations and gives knowledge to us all. Won't he also correct us?
11 The LORD knows how useless our plans really are.
12 Our LORD, you bless everyone that you instruct and teach by using your Law.
13 You give them rest from their troubles, until a pit can be dug for the wicked.
14 You won't turn your back on your chosen nation.
15 Justice and fairness will go hand in hand, and all who do right will follow along.
16 Who will stand up for me against those cruel people?
17 If you had not helped me, LORD, I would soon have gone to the land of silence.
18 When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady.
19 And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.
20 But you are opposed to dishonest lawmakers
21 who gang up to murder innocent victims.
22 You, LORD God, are my fortress, that mighty rock where I am safe.
23 You will pay back my enemies, and you will wipe them out for the evil they did.
1 Sing joyful songs to the LORD! Praise the mighty rock where we are safe.
2 Come to worship him with thankful hearts and songs of praise.
3 The LORD is the greatest God, king over all other gods.
4 He holds the deepest part of the earth in his hands, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The ocean is the Lord's because he made it, and with his own hands he formed the dry land.
6 Bow down and worship the LORD our Creator!
7 The LORD is our God, and we are his people, the sheep he takes care of in his own pasture. Listen to God's voice today!
8 Don't be stubborn and rebel as your ancestors did at Meribah and Massah out in the desert.
9 For forty years they tested God and saw the things he did.
10 Then God got tired of them and said, "You never show good sense, and you don't understand what I want you to do."
11 In his anger, God told them, "You people will never enter my place of rest."
1 Sing a new song to the LORD! Everyone on this earth, sing praises to the LORD,
2 sing and praise his name. Day after day announce, "The LORD has saved us!"
3 Tell every nation on earth, "The LORD is wonderful and does marvelous things!
4 The LORD is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship.
5 Other nations worship idols, but the LORD created the heavens.
6 Give honor and praise to the LORD, whose power and beauty fill his holy temple."
7 Tell everyone of every nation, "Praise the glorious power of the LORD.
8 He is wonderful! Praise him and bring an offering into his temple.
9 Everyone on earth, now tremble and worship the LORD, majestic and holy."
10 Announce to the nations, "The LORD is King! The world stands firm, never to be shaken, and he will judge its people with fairness."
11 Tell the heavens and the earth to be glad and celebrate! Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures
12 and the fields to rejoice with all of their crops. Then every tree in the forest will sing joyful songs
13 to the LORD. He is coming to judge all people on earth with fairness and truth.
1 The LORD is King! Tell the earth to celebrate and all islands to shout.
2 Dark clouds surround him, and his throne is supported by justice and fairness.
3 Fire leaps from his throne, destroying his enemies,
4 and his lightning is so bright that the earth sees it and trembles.
5 Mountains melt away like wax in the presence of the LORD of all the earth.
6 The heavens announce, "The LORD brings justice!" Everyone sees God's glory.
7 Those who brag about the useless idols they worship are terribly ashamed, and all the false gods bow down to the LORD.
8 When the people of Zion and of the towns of Judah hear that God brings justice, they will celebrate.
9 The LORD rules the whole earth, and he is more glorious than all the false gods.
10 Love the LORD and hate evil! God protects his loyal people and rescues them from violence.
11 If you obey and do right, a light will show you the way and fill you with happiness.
12 You are the LORD's people! So celebrate and praise the only God.
1 Sing a new song to the LORD! He has worked miracles, and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.
2 The LORD has shown the nations that he has the power to save and to bring justice.
3 God has been faithful in his love for Israel, and his saving power is seen everywhere on earth.
4 Tell everyone on this earth to sing happy songs in praise of the LORD.
5 Make music for him on harps. Play beautiful melodies!
6 Sound the trumpets and horns and celebrate with joyful songs for our LORD and King!
7 Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures, and the earth to shout with all of its people.
8 Order the rivers to clap their hands, and all of the hills to sing together.
9 Let them worship the LORD! He is coming to judge everyone on the earth, and he will be honest and fair.
1 Our LORD, you are King! You rule from your throne above the winged creatures, as people tremble and the earth shakes.
2 You are praised in Zion, and you control all nations.
3 Only you are God! And your power alone, so great and fearsome, is worthy of praise.
4 You are our mighty King, a lover of fairness, who sees that justice is done everywhere in Israel.
5 Our LORD and our God, we praise you and kneel down to worship you, the God of holiness!
6 Moses and Aaron were two of your priests. Samuel was also one of those who prayed in your name, and you, our LORD, answered their prayers.
7 You spoke to them from a thick cloud, and they obeyed your laws.
8 Our LORD and our God, you answered their prayers and forgave their sins, but when they did wrong, you punished them.
9 We praise you, LORD God, and we worship you at your sacred mountain. Only you are God!
1 (A psalm of praise.) Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth.
2 Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!
3 You know the LORD is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture.
4 Be thankful and praise the LORD as you enter his temple.
5 The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever.
1 (A psalm by David.) I will sing to you, LORD! I will celebrate your kindness and your justice.
2 Please help me learn to do the right thing, and I will be honest and fair in my own kingdom.
3 I refuse to be corrupt or to take part in anything crooked,
4 and I won't be dishonest or deceitful.
5 Anyone who spreads gossip will be silenced, and no one who is conceited will be my friend.
6 I will find trustworthy people to serve as my advisors, and only an honest person will serve as an official.
7 No one who cheats or lies will have a position in my royal court.
8 Each morning I will silence any lawbreakers I find in the countryside or in the city of the LORD.
1 (A prayer for someone who hurts and needs to ask the LORD for help.) I pray to you, LORD! Please listen.
2 Don't hide from me in my time of trouble. Pay attention to my prayer and quickly give an answer.
3 My days disappear like smoke, and my bones are burning as though in a furnace.
4 I am wasting away like grass, and my appetite is gone.
5 My groaning never stops, and my bones can be seen through my skin.
6 I am like a lonely owl in the desert
7 or a restless sparrow alone on a roof.
8 My enemies insult me all day, and they use my name for a curse word.
9 Instead of food, I have ashes to eat and tears to drink,
10 because you are furious and have thrown me aside.
11 My life fades like a shadow at the end of day and withers like grass.
12 Our LORD, you are King forever and will always be famous.
13 You will show pity to Zion because the time has come.
14 We, your servants, love each stone in the city, and we are sad to see them lying in the dirt.
15 Our LORD, the nations will honor you, and all kings on earth will praise your glory.
16 You will rebuild the city of Zion. Your glory will be seen,
17 and the prayers of the homeless will be answered.
18 Future generations must also praise the LORD, so write this for them:
19 "From his holy temple, the LORD looked down at the earth.
20 He listened to the groans of prisoners, and he rescued everyone who was doomed to die."
21 All Jerusalem should praise you, our LORD,
22 when people from every nation meet to worship you.
23 I should still be strong, but you, LORD, have made an old person of me.
24 You will live forever! Years mean nothing to you. Don't cut my life in half!
25 In the beginning, LORD, you laid the earth's foundation and created the heavens.
26 They will all disappear and wear out like clothes. You change them, as you would a coat, but you last forever.
27 You are always the same. Years cannot change you.
28 Every generation of those who serve you will live in your presence.
1 (By David.) With all my heart I praise the LORD, and with all that I am I praise his holy name!
2 With all my heart I praise the LORD! I will never forget how kind he has been.
3 The LORD forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick,
4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.
5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.
6 For all who are mistreated, the LORD brings justice.
7 He taught his Law to Moses and showed all Israel what he could do.
8 The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails.
9 The LORD won't always be angry and point out our sins;
10 he doesn't punish us as our sins deserve.
11 How great is God's love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth!
12 How far has the LORD taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west!
13 Just as parents are kind to their children, the LORD is kind to all who worship him,
14 because he knows we are made of dust.
15 We humans are like grass or wild flowers that quickly bloom.
16 But a scorching wind blows, and they quickly wither to be forever forgotten.
17 The LORD is always kind to those who worship him, and he keeps his promises to their descendants
18 who faithfully obey him.
19 God has set up his kingdom in heaven, and he rules the whole creation.
20 All of you mighty angels, who obey God's commands, come and praise your LORD!
21 All of you thousands who serve and obey God, come and praise your LORD!
22 All of God's creation and all that he rules, come and praise your LORD! With all my heart I praise the LORD!
1 I praise you, LORD God, with all my heart. You are glorious and majestic, dressed in royal robes
2 and surrounded by light. You spread out the sky like a tent,
3 and you built your home over the mighty ocean. The clouds are your chariot with the wind as its wings.
4 The winds are your messengers, and flames of fire are your servants.
5 You built foundations for the earth, and it will never be shaken.
6 You covered the earth with the ocean that rose above the mountains.
7 Then your voice thundered! And the water flowed
8 down the mountains and through the valleys to the place you prepared.
9 Now you have set boundaries, so that the water will never flood the earth again.
10 You provide streams of water in the hills and valleys,
11 so that the donkeys and other wild animals can satisfy their thirst.
12 Birds build their nests nearby and sing in the trees.
13 From your home above you send rain on the hills and water the earth.
14 You let the earth produce grass for cattle, plants for our food,
15 wine to cheer us up, olive oil for our skin, and grain for our health.
16 Our LORD, your trees always have water, and so do the cedars you planted in Lebanon.
17 Birds nest in those trees, and storks make their home in the fir trees.
18 Wild goats find a home in the tall mountains, and small animals can hide between the rocks.
19 You created the moon to tell us the seasons. The sun knows when to set,
20 and you made the darkness, so the animals in the forest could come out at night.
21 Lions roar as they hunt for the food you provide.
22 But when morning comes, they return to their dens,
23 then we go out to work until the end of day.
24 Our LORD, by your wisdom you made so many things; the whole earth is covered with your living creatures.
25 But what about the ocean so big and wide? It is alive with creatures, large and small.
26 And there are the ships, as well as Leviathan, the monster you created to splash in the sea.
27 All of these depend on you to provide them with food,
28 and you feed each one with your own hand, until they are full.
29 But when you turn away, they are terrified; when you end their life, they die and rot.
30 You created all of them by your Spirit, and you give new life to the earth.
31 Our LORD, we pray that your glory will last forever and that you will be pleased with what you have done.
32 You look at the earth, and it trembles. You touch the mountains, and smoke goes up.
33 As long as I live, I will sing and praise you, the LORD God.
34 I hope my thoughts will please you, because you are the one who makes me glad.
35 Destroy all wicked sinners from the earth once and for all. With all my heart I praise you, LORD! I praise you!
1 Praise the LORD and pray in his name! Tell everyone what he has done.
2 Sing praises to the LORD! Tell about his miracles.
3 Celebrate and worship his holy name with all your heart.
4 Trust the LORD and his mighty power.
5 Remember his miracles and all his wonders and his fair decisions.
6 You belong to the family of Abraham, his servant; you are his chosen ones, the descendants of Jacob.
7 The LORD is our God, bringing justice everywhere on earth.
8 He will never forget his agreement or his promises, not in thousands of years. *
9 God made an eternal promise
10 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
11 when he said, "I'll give you the land of Canaan."
12 At the time there were only a few of us, and we were homeless.
13 We wandered from nation to nation, from one country to another.
14 God did not let anyone mistreat our people. Instead he protected us by punishing rulers
15 and telling them, "Don't touch my chosen leaders or harm my prophets!"
16 God kept crops from growing until food was scarce everywhere in the land.
17 But he had already sent Joseph, sold as a slave into Egypt,
18 with chains of iron around his legs and neck.
19 Joseph remained a slave until his own words had come true, and the LORD had finished testing him.
20 Then the king of Egypt set Joseph free
21 and put him in charge of everything he owned.
22 Joseph was in command of the officials, and he taught the leaders how to use wisdom.
23 Jacob and his family came and settled in Egypt as foreigners.
24 They were the LORD's people, so he let them grow stronger than their enemies.
25 They served the LORD, and he made the Egyptians plan hateful things against them.
26 God sent his servant Moses. He also chose and sent Aaron
27 to his people in Egypt, and they worked miracles and wonders there.
28 Moses and Aaron obeyed God, and he sent darkness to cover Egypt.
29 God turned their rivers into streams of blood, and the fish all died.
30 Frogs were everywhere, even in the royal palace.
31 When God gave the command, flies and gnats swarmed all around.
32 In place of rain, God sent hailstones and flashes of lightning.
33 He destroyed their grapevines and their fig trees, and he made splinters of all the other trees.
34 God gave the command, and more grasshoppers came than could be counted.
35 They ate every green plant and all the crops that grew in the land of Egypt.
36 Then God took the life of every first-born son.
37 When God led Israel from Egypt, they took silver and gold, and no one was left behind.
38 The Egyptians were afraid and gladly let them go.
39 God hid them under a cloud and guided them by fire during the night.
40 When they asked for food, he sent more birds than they could eat.
41 God even split open a rock, and streams of water gushed into the desert.
42 God never forgot his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.
43 When the Lord rescued his chosen people from Egypt, they celebrated with songs.
44 The Lord gave them the land and everything else the nations had worked for.
45 He did this so that his people would obey all of his laws. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 We will celebrate and praise you, LORD! You are good to us, and your love never fails.
2 No one can praise you enough for all of the mighty things you have done.
3 You bless those people who are honest and fair in everything they do.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show kindness by saving your people.
5 Let me prosper with the rest of your chosen ones, as they celebrate with pride because they belong to you.
6 We and our ancestors have sinned terribly.
7 When they were in Egypt, they paid no attention to your marvelous deeds or your wonderful love. And they turned against you at the Red Sea.
8 But you were true to your name, and you rescued them to prove how mighty you are.
9 You said to the Red Sea, "Dry up!" Then you led your people across on land as dry as a desert.
10 You saved all of them
11 and drowned every one of their enemies.
12 Then your people trusted you and sang your praises.
13 But they soon forgot what you had done and rejected your advice.
14 They became greedy for food and tested you there in the desert.
15 So you gave them what they wanted, but later you destroyed them with a horrible disease.
16 Everyone in camp was jealous of Moses and of Aaron, your chosen priest.
17 Dathan and Abiram rebelled, and the earth opened up and swallowed them.
18 Then fire broke out and destroyed all of their followers.
19 At Horeb your people made and worshiped the statue
20 of a bull, instead of you, their glorious God.
21 You worked powerful miracles to save them from Egypt, but they forgot about you
22 and the fearsome things you did at the Red Sea.
23 You were angry and started to destroy them, but Moses, your chosen leader, begged you not to do it.
24 They would not trust you, LORD, and they did not like the promised land.
25 They would not obey you, and they grumbled in their tents.
26 So you threatened them by saying, "I'll kill you out here in the desert!
27 I'll scatter your children everywhere in the world."
28 Your people became followers of a god named Baal Peor, and they ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29 They did such terrible things that you punished them with a deadly disease.
30 But Phinehas helped them, and the sickness stopped.
31 Now he will always be highly honored.
32 At Meribah Spring they turned against you and made you furious.
33 Then Moses got into trouble for speaking in anger.
34 Our LORD, they disobeyed you by refusing to destroy the nations.
35 Instead they were friendly with those foreigners and followed their customs.
36 Then they fell into the trap of worshiping idols.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons
38 and to the gods of Canaan. Then they poured out the blood of these innocent children and made the land filthy.
39 By doing such gruesome things, they also became filthy.
40 Finally, LORD, you were angry and terribly disgusted with your people.
41 So you put them in the power of nations that hated them.
42 They were mistreated and abused by their enemies,
43 but you saved them time after time. They were determined to rebel, and their sins caused their downfall.
44 You answered their prayers when they were in trouble.
45 You kept your agreement and were so merciful
46 that their enemies had pity on them.
47 Save us, LORD God! Bring us back from among the nations. Let us celebrate and shout in praise of your holy name.
48 LORD God of Israel, you deserve to be praised forever and ever. Let everyone say, "Amen! Shout praises to the LORD!"
1 Shout praises to the LORD! He is good to us, and his love never fails.
2 Everyone the LORD has rescued from trouble should praise him,
3 everyone he has brought from the east and the west, the north and the south.
4 Some of you were lost in the scorching desert, far from a town.
5 You were hungry and thirsty and about to give up.
6 You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
7 Right away he brought you to a town.
8 You should praise the LORD for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
9 To everyone who is thirsty, he gives something to drink; to everyone who is hungry, he gives good things to eat.
10 Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains,
11 because you had rebelled against God Most High and refused his advice.
12 You were worn out from working like slaves, and no one came to help.
13 You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
14 He brought you out of the deepest darkness and broke your chains.
15 You should praise the LORD for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
16 He breaks down bronze gates and shatters iron locks.
17 Some of you had foolishly committed a lot of sins and were in terrible pain.
18 The very thought of food was disgusting to you, and you were almost dead.
19 You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
20 By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction.
21 You should praise the LORD for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
22 You should celebrate by offering sacrifices and singing joyful songs to tell what he has done.
23 Some of you made a living by sailing the mighty sea,
24 and you saw the miracles the LORD performed there.
25 At his command a storm arose, and waves covered the sea.
26 You were tossed to the sky and to the ocean depths, until things looked so bad that you lost your courage.
27 You staggered like drunkards and gave up all hope.
28 You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the LORD, and he rescued you.
29 He made the storm stop and the sea be quiet.
30 You were happy because of this, and he brought you to the port where you wanted to go.
31 You should praise the LORD for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.
32 Honor the LORD when you and your leaders meet to worship.
33 If you start doing wrong, the LORD will turn rivers into deserts,
34 flowing streams into scorched land, and fruitful fields into beds of salt.
35 But the LORD can also turn deserts into lakes and scorched land into flowing streams.
36 If you are hungry, you can settle there and build a town.
37 You can plant fields and vineyards that produce a good harvest.
38 The LORD will bless you with many children and with herds of cattle.
39 Sometimes you may be crushed by troubles and sorrows, until only a few of you are left to survive.
40 But the LORD will take revenge on those who conquer you, and he will make them wander across desert sands.
41 When you are suffering and in need, he will come to your rescue, and your families will grow as fast as a herd of sheep.
42 You will see this because you obey the LORD, but everyone who is wicked will be silenced.
43 Be wise! Remember this and think about the kindness of the LORD.
1 (A song and a psalm by David.) Our God, I am faithful to you with all my heart, and you can trust me. I will sing and play music for you with all that I am.
2 I will start playing my harps before the sun rises.
3 I will praise you, LORD, for everyone to hear; I will sing hymns to you in every nation.
4 Your love reaches higher than the heavens, and your loyalty extends beyond the clouds.
5 Our God, may you be honored above the heavens; may your glory be seen everywhere on earth.
6 Answer my prayers and use your powerful arm to give us victory. Then the people you love will be safe.
7 Our God, from your holy place you made this promise: "I will gladly divide up the city of Shechem and give away Succoth Valley piece by piece.
8 The lands of Gilead and Manasseh are mine. Ephraim is my war helmet, and Judah is my symbol of royal power.
9 Moab is merely my washbasin, and Edom belongs to me. I shout with victory over the Philistines."
10 Our God, who will bring me to the fortress or lead me to Edom?
11 Have you rejected us? You don't lead our armies.
12 Help us defeat our enemies! No one else can rescue us.
13 You are the one who gives us victory and crushes our enemies.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) I praise you, God! Don't keep silent.
2 Destructive and deceitful lies are told about me,
3 and hateful things are said for no reason.
4 I had pity and prayed for my enemies, but their words to me were harsh and cruel.
5 For being friendly and kind, they paid me back with meanness and hatred.
6 My enemies said, "Find some worthless fools to accuse him of a crime.
7 Try him and find him guilty! Consider his prayers a lie.
8 Cut his life short and let someone else have his job.
9 Make orphans of his children and a widow of his wife;
10 make his children beg for food and live in the slums.
11 "Let the people he owes take everything he owns. Give it all to strangers.
12 Don't let anyone be kind to him or have pity on the children he leaves behind.
13 Bring an end to his family, and from now on let him be a forgotten man.
14 "Don't let the LORD forgive the sins of his parents and his ancestors.
15 Don't let the LORD forget the sins of his family, or let anyone remember his family ever lived.
16 He was so cruel to the poor, homeless, and discouraged that they died young.
17 "He cursed others. Now place a curse on him! He never wished others well. Wish only trouble for him!
18 He cursed others more often than he dressed himself. Let his curses strike him deep, just as water and olive oil soak through to our bones.
19 Let his curses surround him, just like the clothes he wears each day."
20 Those are the cruel things my enemies wish for me. Let it all happen to them!
21 Be true to your name, LORD God! Show your great kindness and rescue me.
22 I am poor and helpless, and I have lost all hope.
23 I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am tossed aside like a crawling insect.
24 I have gone without eating, until my knees are weak, and my body is bony.
25 When my enemies see me, they say cruel things and shake their heads.
26 Please help me, LORD God! Come and save me because of your love.
27 Let others know that you alone have saved me.
28 I don't care if they curse me, as long as you bless me. You will make my enemies fail when they attack, and you will make me glad to be your servant.
29 You will cover them with shame, just as their bodies are covered with clothes.
30 I will sing your praises and thank you, LORD, when your people meet.
31 You help everyone in need, and you defend them when they are on trial.
1 (A psalm by David.) The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right side, until I make your enemies into a footstool for you."
2 The LORD will let your power reach out from Zion, and you will rule over your enemies.
3 Your glorious power will be seen on the day you begin to rule. You will wear the sacred robes and shine like the morning sun in all of your strength.
4 The LORD has made a promise that will never be broken: "You will be a priest forever, just like Melchizedek."
5 My Lord is at your right side, and when he gets angry he will crush the other kings.
6 He will judge the nations and crack their skulls, leaving piles of dead bodies all over the earth.
7 He will drink from any stream that he chooses, while winning victory after victory.
1 Shout praises to the LORD! With all my heart I will thank the LORD when his people meet.
2 The LORD has done many wonderful things! Everyone who is pleased with God's marvelous deeds will keep them in mind.
3 Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic, and his power to bring justice will never end.
4 The LORD God is famous for his wonderful deeds, and he is kind and merciful.
5 He gives food to his worshipers and always keeps his agreement with them.
6 He has shown his mighty power to his people and has given them the lands of other nations.
7 God is always honest and fair, and his laws can be trusted.
8 They are true and right and will stand forever.
9 God rescued his people, and he will never break his agreement with them. He is fearsome and holy.
10 Respect and obey the LORD! This is the first step to wisdom and good sense. God will always be respected.
1 Shout praises to the LORD! The LORD blesses everyone who worships him and gladly obeys his teachings.
2 Their descendants will have great power in the land, because the LORD blesses all who do right.
3 They will get rich and prosper and will always be remembered for their fairness.
4 They will be so kind and merciful and good, that they will be a light in the dark for others who do the right thing.
5 Life will go well for those who freely lend and are honest in business.
6 They won't ever be troubled, and the kind things they do will never be forgotten.
7 Bad news won't bother them; they have decided to trust the LORD.
8 They are dependable and not afraid, and they will live to see their enemies defeated.
9 They will always be remembered and greatly praised, because they were kind and freely gave to the poor.
10 When evil people see this, they angrily bite their tongues and disappear. They will never get what they really want.
1 Shout praises to the LORD! Everyone who serves him, come and praise his name.
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised now and forever.
3 From dawn until sunset the name of the LORD deserves to be praised.
4 The LORD is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens.
5 No one can compare with the LORD our God. His throne is high above,
6 and he looks down to see the heavens and the earth.
7 God lifts the poor and needy from dust and ashes,
8 and he lets them take part in ruling his people.
9 When a wife has no children, he blesses her with some, and she is happy. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 God brought his people out of Egypt, that land with a strange language.
2 He made Judah his holy place and ruled over Israel.
3 When the sea looked at God, it ran away, and the Jordan River flowed upstream.
4 The mountains and the hills skipped around like goats.
5 Ask the sea why it ran away or ask the Jordan why it flowed upstream.
6 Ask the mountains and the hills why they skipped like goats!
7 Earth, you will tremble, when the Lord God of Jacob comes near,
8 because he turns solid rock into flowing streams and pools of water.
1 We don't deserve praise! The LORD alone deserves all of the praise, because of his love and faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations ask, "Where is your God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens, doing as he chooses.
4 The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold.
5 They have a mouth and eyes, but they can't speak or see.
6 Their ears can't hear, and their noses can't smell.
7 Their hands have no feeling, their legs don't move, and they can't make a sound.
8 Everyone who made the idols and all who trust them are just as helpless as those useless gods.
9 People of Israel, you must trust the LORD to help and protect you.
10 Family of Aaron the priest, you must trust the LORD to help and protect you.
11 All of you worship the LORD, so you must trust him to help and protect you.
12 The LORD will not forget to give us his blessing; he will bless all of Israel and the family of Aaron.
13 All who worship the LORD, no matter who they are, will receive his blessing.
14 I pray that the LORD will let your family and your descendants always grow strong.
15 May the LORD who created the heavens and the earth give you his blessing.
16 The LORD has kept the heavens for himself, but he has given the earth to us humans.
17 The dead are silent and cannot praise the LORD,
18 but we will praise him now and forevermore. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 I love you, LORD! You answered my prayers.
2 You paid attention to me, and so I will pray to you as long as I live.
3 Death attacked from all sides, and I was captured by its painful chains. But when I was really hurting,
4 I prayed and said, "LORD, please don't let me die!"
5 You are kind, LORD, so good and merciful.
6 You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me
7 and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore.
8 You, LORD, have saved my life from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 Now I will walk at your side in this land of the living.
10 I was faithful to you when I was suffering,
11 though in my confusion I said, "I can't trust anyone!"
12 What must I give you, LORD, for being so good to me?
13 I will pour out an offering of wine to you, and I will pray in your name because you have saved me.
14 I will keep my promise to you when your people meet.
15 You are deeply concerned when one of your loyal people faces death.
16 I worship you, LORD, just as my mother did, and you have rescued me from the chains of death.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, and I will pray.
18 I will keep my promise to you when your people
19 gather at your temple in Jerusalem. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 All of you nations, come praise the LORD! Let everyone praise him.
2 His love for us is wonderful; his faithfulness never ends. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.
2 Let Israel shout, "God is always merciful!"
3 Let the family of Aaron the priest shout, "God is always merciful!"
4 Let every true worshiper of the LORD shout, "God is always merciful!"
5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the LORD. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away.
6 The LORD is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me.
7 With the LORD on my side, I will defeat all of my hateful enemies.
8 It is better to trust the LORD for protection than to trust anyone else,
9 including strong leaders.
10 Nations surrounded me, but I got rid of them by the power of the LORD.
11 They attacked from all sides, but I got rid of them by the power of the LORD.
12 They swarmed around like bees, but by the power of the LORD, I got rid of them and their fiery sting.
13 Their attacks were so fierce that I nearly fell, but the LORD helped me.
14 My power and my strength come from the LORD, and he has saved me.
15 From the tents of God's people come shouts of victory: "The LORD is powerful!
16 With his mighty arm the LORD wins victories! The LORD is powerful!"
17 And so my life is safe, and I will live to tell what the LORD has done.
18 He punished me terribly, but he did not let death lay its hands on me.
19 Open the gates of justice! I will enter and tell the LORD how thankful I am.
20 Here is the gate of the LORD! Everyone who does right may enter this gate.
21 I praise the LORD for answering my prayers and saving me.
22 The stone that the builders tossed aside has now become the most important stone.
23 The LORD has done this, and it is amazing to us.
24 This day belongs to the LORD! Let's celebrate and be glad today.
25 We'll ask the LORD to save us! We'll sincerely ask the LORD to let us win.
26 God bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD! We praise you from here in the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is our God, and he has given us light! Start the celebration! March with palm branches all the way to the altar.
28 The LORD is my God! I will praise him and tell him how thankful I am.
29 Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.
1 Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law.
2 You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts
3 and who never do wrong or turn from you.
4 You have ordered us always to obey your teachings;
5 I don't ever want to stray from your laws.
6 Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing.
7 I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws.
8 I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me.
9 Young people can live a clean life by obeying your word.
10 I worship you with all my heart. Don't let me walk away from your commands.
11 I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning against you.
12 I praise you, LORD! Teach me your laws.
13 With my own mouth, I tell others the laws that you have spoken.
14 Obeying your instructions brings as much happiness as being rich.
15 I will study your teachings and follow your footsteps.
16 I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words.
17 Treat me with kindness, LORD, so that I may live and do what you say.
18 Open my mind and let me discover the wonders of your Law.
19 I live here as a stranger. Don't keep me from knowing your commands.
20 What I want most of all and at all times is to honor your laws.
21 You punish those boastful, worthless nobodies who turn from your commands.
22 Don't let them sneer and insult me for following you.
23 I keep thinking about your teachings, LORD, even if rulers plot against me.
24 Your laws are my greatest joy! I follow their advice.
25 I am at the point of death. Let your teachings breathe new life into me.
26 When I told you my troubles, you answered my prayers. Now teach me your laws.
27 Help me to understand your teachings, and I will think about your marvelous deeds.
28 I am overcome with sorrow. Encourage me, as you have promised to do.
29 Keep me from being deceitful, and be kind enough to teach me your Law.
30 I am determined to be faithful and to respect your laws.
31 I follow your rules, LORD. Don't let me be ashamed.
32 I am eager to learn all that you want me to do; help me to understand more and more.
33 Point out your rules to me, and I won't disobey even one of them.
34 Help me to understand your Law; I promise to obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me by your commands! I love to do what you say.
36 Make me want to obey you, rather than to be rich.
37 Take away my foolish desires, and let me find life by walking with you.
38 I am your servant! Do for me what you promised to those who worship you.
39 Your wonderful teachings protect me from the insults that I hate so much.
40 I long for your teachings. Be true to yourself and let me live.
41 Show me your love and save me, LORD, as you have promised.
42 Then I will have an answer for everyone who insults me for trusting your word.
43 I rely on your laws! Don't take away my chance to speak your truth.
44 I will keep obeying your Law forever and ever.
45 I have gained perfect freedom by following your teachings,
46 and I trust them so much that I tell them to kings.
47 I love your commands! They bring me happiness.
48 I love and respect them and will keep them in mind.
49 Don't forget your promise to me, your servant. I depend on it.
50 When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life.
51 Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law.
52 I find true comfort, LORD, because your laws have stood the test of time.
53 I get furious when evil people turn against your Law.
54 No matter where I am, your teachings fill me with songs.
55 Even in the night I think about you, LORD, and I obey your Law.
56 You have blessed me because I have always followed your teachings.
57 You, LORD, are my choice, and I will obey you.
58 With all my heart I beg you to be kind to me, just as you have promised.
59 I pay careful attention as you lead me, and I follow closely.
60 As soon as you command, I do what you say.
61 Evil people may set a trap, but I obey your Law.
62 Your laws are so fair that I wake up and praise you in the middle of the night.
63 I choose as my friends everyone who worships you and follows your teachings.
64 Our LORD, your love is seen all over the world. Teach me your laws.
65 I am your servant, LORD, and you have kept your promise to treat me with kindness.
66 Give me wisdom and good sense. I trust your commands.
67 Once you corrected me for not obeying you, but now I obey.
68 You are kindhearted, and you do good things, so teach me your laws.
69 My reputation is being ruined by conceited liars, but with all my heart I follow your teachings.
70 Those liars have no sense, but I find happiness in your Law.
71 When you corrected me, it did me good because it taught me to study your laws.
72 I would rather obey you than to have a thousand pieces of silver and gold.
73 You created me and put me together. Make me wise enough to learn what you have commanded.
74 Your worshipers will see me, and they will be glad that I trust your word.
75 Your decisions are correct, and you were right to punish me.
76 I serve you, LORD. Comfort me with your love, just as you have promised.
77 I love to obey your Law! Have mercy and let me live.
78 Put down those proud people who hurt me with their lies, because I have chosen to study your teachings.
79 Let your worshipers come to me, so they will learn to obey your rules.
80 Let me truly respect your laws, so I won't be ashamed.
81 I long for you to rescue me! Your word is my only hope.
82 I am worn out from waiting for you to keep your word. When will you have mercy?
83 My life is wasting away like a dried-up wineskin, but I have not forgotten your teachings.
84 I am your servant! How long must I suffer? When will you punish those troublemakers?
85 Those proud people reject your teachings, and they dig pits for me to fall in.
86 Your laws can be trusted! Protect me from cruel liars.
87 They have almost killed me, but I have been faithful to your teachings.
88 Show that you love me and let me live, so that I may obey all of your commands.
89 Our LORD, you are eternal! Your word will last as long as the heavens.
90 You remain faithful in every generation, and the earth you created will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants, and the laws you made are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness in obeying your Law, I would have died in misery.
93 I won't ever forget your teachings, because you give me new life by following them.
94 I belong to you, and I have respected your laws, so keep me safe.
95 Brutal enemies are waiting to ambush and destroy me, but I obey your rules.
96 Nothing is completely perfect, except your teachings.
97 I deeply love your Law! I think about it all day.
98 Your laws never leave my mind, and they make me much wiser than my enemies.
99 Thinking about your teachings gives me better understanding than my teachers,
100 and obeying your laws makes me wiser than those who have lived a long time.
101 I obey your word instead of following a way that leads to trouble.
102 You have been my teacher, and I won't reject your instructions.
103 Your teachings are sweeter than honey.
104 They give me understanding and make me hate all lies.
105 Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.
106 Your laws are fair, and I have given my word to respect them all.
107 I am in terrible pain! Save me, LORD, as you said you would.
108 Accept my offerings of praise and teach me your laws.
109 I never forget your teachings, although my life is always in danger.
110 Some merciless people are trying to trap me, but I never turn my back on your teachings.
111 They will always be my most prized possession and my source of joy.
112 I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what.
113 I hate anyone whose loyalty is divided, but I love your Law.
114 You are my place of safety and my shield. Your word is my only hope.
115 All of you worthless people, get away from me! I am determined to obey the commands of my God.
116 Be true to your word, LORD. Keep me alive and strong; don't let me be ashamed because of my hope.
117 Keep me safe and secure, so that I will always respect your laws.
118 You reject all deceitful liars because they refuse your teachings.
119 As far as you are concerned, all evil people are garbage, and so I follow your rules.
120 I tremble all over when I think of you and the way you judge.
121 I did what was fair and right! Don't hand me over to those who want to mistreat me.
122 Take good care of me, your servant, and don't let me be harmed by those conceited people.
123 My eyes are weary from waiting to see you keep your promise to come and save me.
124 Show your love for me, your servant, and teach me your laws.
125 I serve you, so let me understand your teachings.
126 Do something, LORD! They have broken your Law.
127 Your laws mean more to me than the finest gold.
128 I follow all of your commands, but I hate anyone who leads me astray.
129 Your teachings are wonderful, and I respect them all.
130 Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people.
131 I honestly want to know everything you teach.
132 Think about me and be kind, just as you are to everyone who loves your name.
133 Keep your promise and don't let me stumble or let sin control my life.
134 Protect me from abuse, so I can obey your laws.
135 Smile on me, your servant, and teach me your laws.
136 When anyone disobeys you, my eyes overflow with tears.
137 Our LORD, you always do right, and your decisions are fair.
138 All of your teachings are true and trustworthy.
139 It upsets me greatly when my enemies neglect your teachings.
140 Your word to me, your servant, is like pure gold; I treasure what you say.
141 Everyone calls me a nobody, but I remember your laws.
142 You will always do right, and your teachings are true.
143 I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings.
144 Your rules are always fair. Help me to understand them and live.
145 I pray to you, LORD! Please answer me. I promise to obey your laws.
146 I beg you to save me, so I can follow your rules.
147 Even before sunrise, I pray for your help, and I put my hope in what you have said.
148 I lie awake at night, thinking of your promises.
149 Show that you love me, LORD, and answer my prayer. Please do the right thing and save my life.
150 People who disobey your Law have made evil plans and want to hurt me,
151 but you are with me, and all of your commands can be trusted.
152 From studying your laws, I found out long ago that you made them to last forever.
153 I have not forgotten your Law! Look at the trouble I am in, and rescue me.
154 Be my defender and protector! Keep your promise and save my life.
155 Evil people won't obey you, and so they have no hope of being saved.
156 You are merciful, LORD! Please do the right thing and save my life.
157 I have a lot of brutal enemies, but still I never turn from your laws.
158 All of those unfaithful people who refuse to obey you are disgusting to me.
159 Remember how I love your laws, and show your love for me by keeping me safe.
160 All you say can be trusted; your teachings are true and will last forever.
161 Rulers are cruel to me for no reason. But with all my heart I respect your words,
162 because they bring happiness like treasures taken in war.
163 I can't stand liars, but I love your Law.
164 I praise you seven times a day because your laws are fair.
165 You give peace of mind to all who love your Law. Nothing can make them fall.
166 You are my only hope for being saved, LORD, and I do all you command.
167 I love and obey your laws with all my heart.
168 You know everything I do. You know I respect every law you have given.
169 Please, LORD, hear my prayer and give me the understanding that comes from your word.
170 Listen to my concerns and keep me safe, just as you have promised.
171 If you will teach me your laws, I will praise you
172 and sing about your promise, because all of your teachings are what they ought to be.
173 Be ready to protect me because I have chosen to obey your laws.
174 I am waiting for you to save me, LORD. Your Law makes me happy.
175 Keep me alive, so I can praise you, and let me find help in your teachings.
176 I am your servant, but I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Please come after me, because I have not forgotten your teachings.
1 (A song for worship.) When I am in trouble, I pray,
2 "Come and save me, LORD, from deceitful liars!"
3 What punishment is fitting for you deceitful liars?
4 Your reward should be sharp and flaming arrows!
5 But I must live as a foreigner among the people of Meshech and in the tents of Kedar.
6 I have spent too much time living among people who hate peace.
7 I am in favor of peace, but when I speak of it, all they want is war.
1 (A song for worship.) I look to the hills! Where will I find help?
2 It will come from the LORD, who created the heavens and the earth.
3 The LORD is your protector, and he won't go to sleep or let you stumble.
4 The protector of Israel doesn't doze or ever get drowsy.
5 The LORD is your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun.
6 You won't be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night.
7 The LORD will protect you and keep you safe from all dangers.
8 The LORD will protect you now and always wherever you go.
1 (A song by David for worship.) It made me glad to hear them say, "Let's go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Jerusalem, we are standing inside your gates.
3 Jerusalem, what a strong and beautiful city you are!
4 Every tribe of the LORD obeys him and comes to you to praise his name.
5 David's royal throne is here where justice rules.
6 Jerusalem, we pray that you will have peace, and that all will go well for those who love you.
7 May there be peace inside your city walls and in your palaces.
8 Because of my friends and my relatives, I will pray for peace.
9 And because of the house of the LORD our God, I will work for your good.
1 (A song for worship.) Our LORD and our God, I turn my eyes to you, on your throne in heaven.
2 Servants look to their master, but we will look to you, until you have mercy on us.
3 Please have mercy, LORD! We have been insulted more than we can stand,
4 and we can't take more abuse from those proud, conceited people.
1 (A song by David for worship.) The LORD was on our side! Let everyone in Israel say:
2 "The LORD was on our side! Otherwise, the enemy attack
3 would have killed us all, because it was furious.
4 We would have been swept away in a violent flood
5 of high and roaring waves."
6 Let's praise the LORD! He protected us from enemies who were like wild animals,
7 and we escaped like birds from a hunter's torn net.
8 The LORD made heaven and earth, and he is the one who sends us help.
1 (A song for worship.) Everyone who trusts the LORD is like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken and will stand forever.
2 Just as Jerusalem is protected by mountains on every side, the LORD protects his people by holding them in his arms now and forever.
3 He won't let the wicked rule his people or lead them to do wrong.
4 Let's ask the LORD to be kind to everyone who is good and completely obeys him.
5 When the LORD punishes the wicked, he will punish everyone else who lives a crooked life. Pray for peace in Israel!
1 (A song for worship.) It seemed like a dream when the LORD brought us back to the city of Zion.
2 We celebrated with laughter and joyful songs. In foreign nations it was said, "The LORD has worked miracles for his people."
3 And so we celebrated because the LORD had indeed worked miracles for us.
4 Our LORD, we ask you to bless our people again, and let us be like streams in the Southern Desert.
5 We cried as we went out to plant our seeds. Now let us celebrate as we bring in the crops.
6 We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops.
1 (A song by Solomon for worship.) Without the help of the LORD it is useless to build a home or to guard a city.
2 It is useless to get up early and stay up late in order to earn a living. God takes care of his own, even while they sleep.
3 Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.
4 Having a lot of children to take care of you in your old age is like a warrior with a lot of arrows.
5 The more you have, the better off you will be, because they will protect you when your enemies attack with arguments.
1 (A song for worship.) The LORD will bless you if you respect him and obey his laws.
2 Your fields will produce, and you will be happy and all will go well.
3 Your wife will be as fruitful as a grapevine, and just as an olive tree is rich with olives, your home will be rich with healthy children.
4 That is how the LORD will bless everyone who respects him.
5 I pray that the LORD will bless you from Zion and let Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
6 May you live long enough to see your grandchildren. Let's pray for peace in Israel!
1 (A song for worship.) Since the time I was young, enemies have often attacked! Let everyone in Israel say:
2 "Since the time I was young, enemies have often attacked! But they have not defeated me,
3 though my back is like a field that has just been plowed."
4 The LORD always does right, and he has set me free from the ropes of those cruel people.
5 I pray that all who hate the city of Zion will be made ashamed and forced to turn and run.
6 May they be like grass on the flat roof of a house, grass that dries up as soon as it sprouts.
7 Don't let them be like wheat gathered in bundles.
8 And don't let anyone who passes by say to them, "The LORD bless you! I give you my blessing in the name of the LORD."
1 (A song for worship.) From a sea of troubles I call out to you, LORD.
2 Won't you please listen as I beg for mercy?
3 If you kept record of our sins, no one could last long.
4 But you forgive us, and so we will worship you.
5 With all my heart, I am waiting, LORD, for you! I trust your promises.
6 I wait for you more eagerly than a soldier on guard duty waits for the dawn. Yes, I wait more eagerly than a soldier on guard duty waits for the dawn.
7 Israel, trust the LORD! He is always merciful, and he has the power to save you.
8 Israel, the LORD will save you from all of your sins.
1 (A song by David for worship.) I am not conceited, LORD, and I don't waste my time on impossible schemes.
2 But I have learned to feel safe and satisfied, just like a young child on its mother's lap.
3 People of Israel, you must trust the LORD now and forever.
1 (A song for worship.) Our LORD, don't forget David and how he suffered.
2 Mighty God of Jacob, remember how he promised:
3 "I won't go home or crawl into bed
4 or close my eyelids,
5 until I find a home for you, the mighty LORD God of Jacob."
6 When we were in Ephrath, we heard that the sacred chest was somewhere near Jaar.
7 Then we said, "Let's go to the throne of the LORD and worship at his feet."
8 Come to your new home, LORD, you and the sacred chest with all of its power.
9 Let victory be like robes for the priests; let your faithful people celebrate and shout.
10 David is your chosen one, so don't reject him.
11 You made a solemn promise to David, when you said, "I, the LORD, promise that someone in your family will always be king.
12 If they keep our agreement and follow my teachings, then someone in your family will rule forever."
13 You have gladly chosen Zion as your home, our LORD.
14 You said, "This is my home! I will live here forever.
15 I will bless Zion with food, and even the poor will eat until they are full.
16 Victory will be like robes for the priests, and its faithful people will celebrate and shout.
17 I will give mighty power to the kingdom of David. Each one of my chosen kings will shine like a lamp
18 and wear a sparkling crown. But I will disgrace their enemies."
1 (A song for worship.) It is truly wonderful when relatives live together in peace.
2 It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron's head and running down his beard and the collar of his robe.
3 It is like the dew from Mount Hermon, falling on Zion's mountains, where the LORD has promised to bless his people with life forevermore.
1 (A song for worship.) Everyone who serves the LORD, come and offer praises. Everyone who has gathered in his temple tonight,
2 lift your hands in prayer toward his holy place and praise the LORD.
3 The LORD is the Creator of heaven and earth, and I pray that the LORD will bless you from Zion.
1 Shout praises to the LORD! You are his servants, so praise his name.
2 All who serve in the temple of the LORD our God,
3 come and shout praises. Praise the name of the LORD! He is kind and good.
4 He chose the family of Jacob and the people of Israel for his very own.
5 The LORD is much greater than any other god.
6 He does as he chooses in heaven and on earth and deep in the sea.
7 The LORD makes the clouds rise from far across the earth, and he makes lightning to go with the rain. Then from his secret place he sends out the wind.
8 The LORD killed the first-born of people and animals in the land of Egypt.
9 God used miracles and wonders to fight the king of Egypt and all of his officials.
10 He destroyed many nations and killed powerful kings,
11 including King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. He conquered every kingdom in the land of Canaan
12 and gave their property to his people Israel.
13 The name of the LORD will be remembered forever, and he will be famous for all time to come.
14 The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him.
15 Idols of silver and gold are made and worshiped in other nations.
16 They have a mouth and eyes, but they can't speak or see.
17 They are completely deaf, and they can't breathe.
18 Everyone who makes idols and all who trust them will end up as helpless as their idols.
19 Everyone in Israel, come praise the LORD! All the family of Aaron
20 and all the tribe of Levi, come praise the LORD! All of his worshipers, come praise the LORD.
21 Praise the LORD from Zion! He lives here in Jerusalem. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Praise the LORD! He is good. God's love never fails.
2 Praise the God of all gods. God's love never fails.
3 Praise the Lord of lords. God's love never fails.
4 Only God works great miracles. God's love never fails.
5 With wisdom he made the sky. God's love never fails.
6 The Lord stretched the earth over the ocean. God's love never fails.
7 He made the bright lights in the sky. God's love never fails.
8 He lets the sun rule each day. God's love never fails.
9 He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God's love never fails.
10 God struck down the first-born in every Egyptian family. God's love never fails.
11 He rescued Israel from Egypt. God's love never fails.
12 God used his great strength and his powerful arm. God's love never fails.
13 He split the Red Sea apart. God's love never fails.
14 The Lord brought Israel safely through the sea. God's love never fails.
15 He destroyed the Egyptian king and his army there. God's love never fails.
16 The Lord led his people through the desert. God's love never fails.
17 Our God defeated mighty kings. God's love never fails.
18 And he killed famous kings. God's love never fails.
19 One of them was Sihon, king of the Amorites. God's love never fails.
20 Another was King Og of Bashan. God's love never fails.
21 God took away their land. God's love never fails.
22 He gave their land to Israel, the people who serve him. God's love never fails.
23 God saw the trouble we were in. God's love never fails.
24 He rescued us from our enemies. God's love never fails.
25 He gives food to all who live. God's love never fails.
26 Praise God in heaven! God's love never fails.
1 Beside the rivers of Babylon we thought about Jerusalem, and we sat down and cried.
2 We hung our small harps on the willow trees.
3 Our enemies had brought us here as their prisoners, and now they wanted us to sing and entertain them. They insulted us and shouted, "Sing about Zion!"
4 Here in a foreign land, how can we sing about the LORD?
5 Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand go limp.
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I don't think about you above all else.
7 Our LORD, punish the Edomites! Because the day Jerusalem fell, they shouted, "Completely destroy the city! Tear down every building!"
8 Babylon, you are doomed! I pray the Lord's blessings on anyone who punishes you for what you did to us.
9 May the Lord bless everyone who beats your children against the rocks!
1 (By David.) With all my heart I praise you, LORD. In the presence of angels I sing your praises.
2 I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.
3 When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage.
4 All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD, and they will praise you.
5 You are so famous that they will sing about the things you have done.
6 Though you are above us all, you care for humble people, and you keep a close watch on everyone who is proud.
7 I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe.
8 You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don't give up on us now!
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me.
2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts.
3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go.
4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.
6 I can't understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.
7 Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight?
8 If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there.
9 Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean.
10 Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me.
11 Or suppose I said, "I'll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over."
12 But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you.
13 You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body,
14 and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.
15 Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below,
16 but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do.
17 Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach. And when I awake, I will find you nearby.
19 How I wish that you would kill all cruel and heartless people and protect me from them!
20 They are always rebelling and speaking evil of you.
21 You know I hate anyone who hates you, LORD, and refuses to obey.
22 They are my enemies too, and I truly hate them.
23 Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking.
24 Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true.
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Rescue me from cruel and violent enemies, LORD!
2 They think up evil plans and always cause trouble.
3 Their words bite deep like the poisonous fangs of a snake.
4 Protect me, LORD, from cruel and brutal enemies, who want to destroy me.
5 Those proud people have hidden traps and nets to catch me as I walk.
6 You, LORD, are my God! Please listen to my prayer.
7 You have the power to save me, and you keep me safe in every battle.
8 Don't let the wicked succeed in doing what they want, or else they might never stop planning evil.
9 They have me surrounded, but make them the victims of their own vicious lies.
10 Dump flaming coals on them and throw them into pits where they can't climb out.
11 Chase those cruel liars away! Let trouble hunt them down.
12 Our LORD, I know that you defend the homeless and see that the poor are given justice.
13 Your people will praise you and will live with you because they do right.
1 (A psalm by David.) I pray to you, LORD! Please listen when I pray and hurry to help me.
2 Think of my prayer as sweet-smelling incense, and think of my lifted hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Help me to guard my words whenever I say something.
4 Don't let me want to do evil or waste my time doing wrong with wicked people. Don't let me even taste the good things they offer.
5 Let your faithful people correct and punish me. My prayers condemn the deeds of those who do wrong, so don't let me be friends with any of them.
6 Everyone will admit that I was right when their rulers are thrown down a rocky cliff,
7 and their bones lie scattered like broken rocks on top of a grave.
8 You are my LORD and God, and I look to you for safety. Don't let me be harmed.
9 Protect me from the traps of those violent people,
10 and make them fall into their own traps while you help me escape.
1 (A special psalm and a prayer by David when he was in the cave.) I pray to you, LORD. I beg for mercy.
2 I tell you all of my worries and my troubles,
3 and whenever I feel low, you are there to guide me. A trap has been hidden along my pathway.
4 Even if you look, you won't see anyone who cares enough to walk beside me. There is no place to hide, and no one who really cares.
5 I pray to you, LORD! You are my place of safety, and you are my choice in the land of the living. Please answer my prayer. I am completely helpless.
6 Help! They are chasing me, and they are too strong.
7 Rescue me from this prison, so I can praise your name. And when your people notice your wonderful kindness to me, they will rush to my side.
1 (A psalm by David.) Listen, LORD, as I pray! You are faithful and honest and will answer my prayer.
2 I am your servant. Don't try me in your court, because no one is innocent by your standards.
3 My enemies are chasing me, crushing me in the ground. I am in total darkness, like someone long dead.
4 I have given up all hope, and I feel numb all over.
5 I remember to think about the many things you did in years gone by.
6 Then I lift my hands in prayer, because my soul is a desert, thirsty for water from you.
7 Please hurry, LORD, and answer my prayer. I feel hopeless. Don't turn away and leave me here to die.
8 Each morning let me learn more about your love because I trust you. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance.
9 Please rescue me from my enemies, LORD! I come to you for safety.
10 You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.
11 Be true to your name, LORD, and keep my life safe. Use your saving power to protect me from trouble.
12 I am your servant. Show how much you love me by destroying my enemies.
1 (By David.) I praise you, LORD! You are my mighty rock, and you teach me how to fight my battles.
2 You are my friend, and you are my fortress where I am safe. You are my shield, and you made me the ruler of our people.
3 Why do we humans mean anything to you, our LORD? Why do you care about us?
4 We disappear like a breath; we last no longer than a faint shadow.
5 Open the heavens like a curtain and come down, LORD. Touch the mountains and make them send up smoke.
6 Use your lightning as arrows to scatter my enemies and make them run away.
7 Reach down from heaven and set me free. Save me from the mighty flood
8 of those lying foreigners who can't tell the truth.
9 In praise of you, our God, I will sing a new song, while playing my harp.
10 By your power, kings win wars, and your servant David is saved from deadly swords.
11 Won't you keep me safe from those lying foreigners who can't tell the truth?
12 Let's pray that our young sons will grow like strong plants and that our daughters will be as lovely as columns in the corner of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled with all kinds of crops. May our fields be covered with sheep by the thousands,
14 and every cow have calves. Don't let our city be captured or any of us be taken away, and don't let cries of sorrow be heard in our streets.
15 Our LORD and our God, you give these blessings to all who worship you.
1 (By David for praise.) I will praise you, my God and King, and always honor your name.
2 I will praise you each day and always honor your name.
3 You are wonderful, LORD, and you deserve all praise, because you are much greater than anyone can understand.
4 Each generation will announce to the next your wonderful and powerful deeds.
5 I will keep thinking about your marvelous glory and your mighty miracles.
6 Everyone will talk about your fearsome deeds, and I will tell all nations how great you are.
7 They will celebrate and sing about your matchless mercy and your power to save.
8 You are merciful, LORD! You are kind and patient and always loving.
9 You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation.
10 All creation will thank you, and your loyal people will praise you.
11 They will tell about your marvelous kingdom and your power.
12 Then everyone will know about the mighty things you do and your glorious kingdom.
13 Your kingdom will never end, and you will rule forever. Our LORD, you keep your word and do everything you say.
14 When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand.
15 Everyone depends on you, and when the time is right, you provide them with food.
16 By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live.
17 Our LORD, everything you do is kind and thoughtful,
18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.
19 You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help.
20 You take care of everyone who loves you, but you destroy the wicked.
21 I will praise you, LORD, and everyone will respect your holy name forever.
1 Shout praises to the LORD! With all that I am, I will shout his praises.
2 I will sing and praise the LORD God for as long as I live.
3 You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader.
4 Once they die and are buried, that will be the end of all their plans.
5 The LORD God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts him and depends on him.
6 God made heaven and earth; he created the sea and everything else. God always keeps his word.
7 He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free
8 and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand to everyone who falls. The LORD loves good people
9 and looks after strangers. He defends the rights of orphans and widows, but destroys the wicked.
10 The LORD God of Zion will rule forever! Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Shout praises to the LORD! Our God is kind, and it is right and good to sing praises to him.
2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem and brings the people of Israel back home again.
3 He renews our hopes and heals our bodies.
4 He decided how many stars there would be in the sky and gave each one a name.
5 Our LORD is great and powerful! He understands everything.
6 The LORD helps the poor, but he smears the wicked in the dirt.
7 Celebrate and sing! Play your harps for the LORD our God.
8 He fills the sky with clouds and sends rain to the earth, so that the hills will be green with grass.
9 He provides food for cattle and for the young ravens, when they cry out.
10 The LORD doesn't care about the strength of horses or powerful armies.
11 The LORD is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love.
12 Everyone in Jerusalem, come and praise the LORD your God!
13 He makes your city gates strong and blesses your people by giving them children.
14 God lets you live in peace, and he gives you the very best wheat.
15 As soon as God speaks, the earth obeys.
16 He covers the ground with snow like a blanket of wool, and he scatters frost like ashes on the ground.
17 God sends down hailstones like chips of rocks. Who can stand the cold?
18 At his command the ice melts, the wind blows, and streams begin to flow.
19 God gave his laws and teachings to the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel.
20 But he has not given his laws to any other nation. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Shout praises to the LORD! Shout the LORD's praises in the highest heavens.
2 All of you angels, and all who serve him above, come and offer praise.
3 Sun and moon, and all of you bright stars, come and offer praise.
4 Highest heavens, and the water above the highest heavens, come and offer praise.
5 Let all things praise the name of the LORD, because they were created at his command.
6 He made them to last forever, and nothing can change what he has done.
7 All creatures on earth, you obey his commands, so come praise the LORD!
8 Sea monsters and the deep sea, fire and hail, snow and frost, and every stormy wind, come praise the LORD!
9 All mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars,
10 every wild and tame animal, all reptiles and birds, come praise the LORD!
11 Every king and every ruler, all nations on earth,
12 every man and every woman, young people and old, come praise the LORD!
13 All creation, come praise the name of the LORD. Praise his name alone. The glory of God is greater than heaven and earth.
14 Like a bull with mighty horns, the LORD protects his faithful nation Israel, because they belong to him. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Shout praises to the LORD! Sing him a new song of praise when his loyal people meet.
2 People of Israel, rejoice because of your Creator. People of Zion, celebrate because of your King.
3 Praise his name by dancing and playing music on harps and tambourines.
4 The LORD is pleased with his people, and he gives victory to those who are humble.
5 All of you faithful people, praise our glorious Lord! Celebrate and worship.
6 Praise God with songs on your lips and a sword in your hand.
7 Take revenge and punish the nations.
8 Put chains of iron on their kings and rulers.
9 Punish them as they deserve; this is the privilege of God's faithful people. Shout praises to the LORD!
1 Shout praises to the LORD! Praise God in his temple. Praise him in heaven, his mighty fortress.
2 Praise our God! His deeds are wonderful, too marvelous to describe.
3 Praise God with trumpets and all kinds of harps.
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing, with stringed instruments and woodwinds.
5 Praise God with cymbals, with clashing cymbals.
6 Let every living creature praise the LORD. Shout praises to the LORD!