PSALMS

1 Happy is the man who does not walk according to the advice of the wicked

And does not stand on the path of sinners+

And does not sit in the seat of scoffers.+

 2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah,+

And he reads His law in an undertone* day and night.+

 3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,

A tree that produces fruit in its season,

The foliage of which does not wither.

 4 The wicked are not like that;

They are like the chaff that the wind blows away.

 5 That is why the wicked will not remain standing in the judgment;+

Nor will sinners remain standing in the assembly of the righteous.+

 6 For Jehovah is aware of the way of the righteous,+

But the way of the wicked will perish.+

2 Why are the nations agitated

And the peoples muttering* an empty thing?+

 2 The kings of the earth take their stand

And high officials gather together* as one+

Against Jehovah and against his anointed one.*+

 3 They say: “Let us tear off their shackles

And throw off their ropes!”

 4 The One enthroned in the heavens will laugh;

Jehovah will scoff at them.

 5 At that time he will speak to them in his anger

And terrify them in his burning anger,

 6 Saying: “I myself have installed my king+

On Zion,+ my holy mountain.”

 7 Let me proclaim the decree of Jehovah;

He said to me: “You are my son;+

Today I have become your father.+

 8 Ask of me, and I will give nations as your inheritance

And the ends of the earth as your possession.+

 9 You will break them with an iron scepter,+

And you will smash them like a piece of pottery.”+

10 So now, you kings, show insight;

Accept correction,* you judges of the earth.

11 Serve Jehovah with fear,

And rejoice with trembling.

12 Honor* the son,+ or God* will become indignant

And you will perish from the way,+

For His anger flares up quickly.

 3 But you, O Jehovah, are a shield around me,+

My glory+ and the One who lifts up my head.+

 4 I will call aloud to Jehovah,

And he will answer me from his holy mountain.+ (Selah)

 5 I will lie down and sleep;

And I will wake up in safety,

For Jehovah continues to support me.+

 6 I am not afraid of the tens of thousands

Lined up against me on every side.+

For you will strike all my enemies on the jaw;

You will break the teeth of the wicked.+

 3 Know that Jehovah will treat his loyal one in a special way;*

Jehovah will hear when I call to him.

 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And trust in Jehovah.+

 7 You have filled my heart with greater rejoicing

Than those who have an abundant harvest of grain and new wine.

 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,+

For you alone, O Jehovah, make me dwell in security.+

5 Listen to my words, O Jehovah;+

Be attentive to my sighing.

 2 Pay attention to my cry for help,

O my King and my God, because to you I pray.

 3 O Jehovah, you will hear my voice in the morning;+

In the morning I will express my concern to you+ and wait expectantly.

 4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;+

No one bad may remain with you.+

You hate all those who behave wickedly;+

 6 You will destroy those who speak lies.+

 7 But I will come into your house+ because of your great loyal love;+

I will bow down toward your holy temple* in reverential fear of you.+

 8 Lead me, O Jehovah, in your righteousness because of my foes;

Make your way clear for me.+

 9 For nothing they say can be trusted;

Within them is nothing but malice;

Their throat is an open grave;

They flatter with their tongue.*+

10 But God will declare them guilty;

Their own schemes will cause their downfall.+

May they be driven away because of their many transgressions,

For they have rebelled against you.

11 But all those who take refuge in you will rejoice;+

They will always shout joyfully.

You will block approach to them,

And those loving your name will rejoice in you.

12 For you will bless anyone righteous, O Jehovah;

You will surround them with approval as with a large shield.+

6 O Jehovah, do not reprove me in your anger,

And do not correct me in your rage.+

 3 Yes, I am* greatly disturbed,+

And I ask you, O Jehovah—how long will it be?+

 4 Return, O Jehovah, and rescue me;*+

Save me for the sake of your loyal love.+

 5 For in death there is no mention* of you;

In the Grave,* who will praise you?+

 6 I have grown weary with my sighing;+

All night long I soak my bed with tears;*

I flood my couch with weeping.+

 7 My eye is weak from my grief;+

It has dimmed* because of all those harassing me.

 8 Get away from me, all you who behave wickedly,

For Jehovah will hear the sound of my weeping.+

 9 Jehovah will hear my request for favor;+

Jehovah will accept my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be put to shame and dismayed;

They will fall back in sudden disgrace.+

 2 Otherwise they will tear me* to pieces as a lion does,+

Carrying me off with no one to rescue me.

 3 O Jehovah my God, if I am at fault in this,

If I have acted unjustly,

 4 If I have wronged the one doing good to me,+

Or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,*

 5 Then let an enemy pursue and overtake me;*

Let him trample my life down to the earth

And cause my glory to perish in the dust. (Selah)

 6 Rise up in your anger, O Jehovah;

Stand up against the fury of my enemies;+

Awake for me, and demand that justice be done.+

 7 Let the nations surround you;

And you will act against them from on high.

Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness

And according to my integrity.+

But establish the righteous,+

Since you are the righteous God+ who examines the hearts+ and the deepest emotions.*+

11 God is a righteous Judge,+

And God proclaims his judgments* every day.

12 If anyone will not repent,+ He sharpens his sword;+

He bends his bow and makes it ready.+

13 He prepares his deadly weapons;

He makes ready his flaming arrows.+

14 Look at the one who is pregnant with wickedness;

He conceives trouble and gives birth to lies.+

15 He excavates a pit and digs it deep,

But he falls into the very hole he made.+

16 The trouble he causes will return on his own head;+

His violence will fall on the crown of his head.

17 I will praise Jehovah for his justice;+

I will sing praises* to the name of Jehovah+ the Most High.+

8 O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth;

You have set your splendor even higher than the heavens!*+

 2 Out of the mouth of children and infants+ you have established strength

On account of your adversaries,

To silence the enemy and the avenger.

 3 When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers,

The moon and the stars that you have prepared,+

 4 What is mortal man that you keep him in mind,

And a son of man that you take care of him?+

 5 You made him a little lower than godlike ones,*

And you crowned him with glory and splendor.

 6 You gave him dominion over the works of your hands;+

You have put everything under his feet:

 7 All the flocks and cattle,

As well as the wild animals,*+

 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,

Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 I will praise you, O Jehovah, with all my heart;

I will tell about all your wonderful works.+

 2 I will rejoice and exult in you;

I will sing praises* to your name, O Most High.+

 3 When my enemies retreat,+

They will stumble and perish from before you.

 4 For you defend my just cause;

You sit on your throne judging with righteousness.+

 5 You have rebuked nations+ and destroyed the wicked,

Blotting out their name forever and ever.

 6 The enemy has been ruined forever;

You uprooted their cities,

And all memory of them will perish.+

 7 But Jehovah is enthroned forever;+

He has firmly established his throne for justice.+

 8 He will judge the inhabited earth* in righteousness;+

He will render righteous legal decisions for the nations.+

 9 Jehovah will become a secure refuge* for the oppressed,+

A secure refuge in times of distress.+

10 Those knowing your name will trust in you;+

You will never abandon those seeking you, O Jehovah.+

11 Sing praises to Jehovah, who is dwelling in Zion;

Make his deeds known among the peoples.+

12 For the One who avenges their blood remembers them;+

He will not forget the cry of the afflicted.+

13 Show me favor, O Jehovah; see my affliction by those hating me,

You who raise me from the gates of death,+

14 So that I may declare your praiseworthy deeds in the gates of the daughter of Zion,+

And rejoice in your acts of salvation.+

15 The nations have sunk down into the pit they made;

Their own foot has been caught in the net they hid.+

17 The wicked will retreat toward the Grave,*

All the nations who forget God.

18 But the poor will not always be forgotten;+

Nor will the hope of the meek ever perish.+

20 Strike them with fear, O Jehovah,+

Let the nations know that they are only mortal men. (Selah)

 2 The wicked one arrogantly pursues the helpless one,+

But he will be caught in the schemes he devises.+

 3 For the wicked one boasts about his selfish desires*+

And blesses the greedy one;*

נ [Nun]

He disrespects Jehovah.

 4 In his haughtiness, the wicked man makes no investigation;

All his thoughts are: “There is no God.”+

 5 His ways keep prospering,+

But your judgments are beyond his understanding;+

He scoffs* at all his adversaries.

 6 He says in his heart: “I will never be shaken;*

For generation after generation

I will never see calamity.”+

 7 His mouth is full of curses, lies, and threats;+

Under his tongue are trouble and injury.+

 8 He waits in ambush near the settlements;

From his hiding place he kills an innocent one.+

10 The victim is crushed and brought down;

The unfortunate ones fall into his clutches.*

To you the unfortunate victim turns;+

You are the helper for the fatherless child.*+

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man,+

So that when you search for his wickedness,

You will find it no more.

18 You will render justice to the fatherless and to those who are crushed,+

So that mortal man of the earth may no longer make them afraid.+

 2 See how the wicked bend the bow;

They set their arrow on the bowstring,

To shoot from the darkness those upright in heart.

 3 When the foundations* are torn down,

What can the righteous do?”

 5 Jehovah examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one;+

He* hates anyone who loves violence.+

 6 Upon the wicked, he will rain down snares;*

Fire and sulfur+ and a scorching wind will be the portion of their cup.

12 Save me, O Jehovah, for the loyal one is no more;

Faithful people have vanished from among men.

 2 They speak lies to one another;

They flatter with their lips* and speak with deceitful hearts.*+

 3 Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips

And the tongue that makes great boasts,+

 4 Those who say: “We will prevail with our tongues.

We use our lips as we please;

Who will be our master?”+

 5 “Because the afflicted are oppressed,

Because of the sighing of the poor,+

I will rise up to act,” says Jehovah.

 6 The sayings of Jehovah are pure;+

They are like silver refined in an earthen furnace,* purified seven times.

 7 You will guard them, O Jehovah;+

You will protect each one of them from this generation forever.

 8 The wicked walk around unrestrained

Because the sons of men promote depravity.+

 2 How long will I* have anxious concern,

With grief in my heart each day?

Give light to my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death,

 4 So that my enemy will not say: “I have defeated him!”

 5 As for me, I trust in your loyal love;+

My heart will rejoice in your acts of salvation.+

Their actions are corrupt, and their dealings are detestable;

No one is doing good.+

 2 But Jehovah looks down from heaven on the sons of men

To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah.+

 3 They have all turned aside;+

They are all alike corrupt.

No one is doing good,

Not even one.

 5 But they will be filled with great terror,+

For Jehovah is with the generation of the righteous.

 6 You wrongdoers try to frustrate the plans of the lowly one,

But Jehovah is his refuge.+

When Jehovah gathers back his captive people,

Let Jacob be joyful, let Israel rejoice.

 2 The one who is walking faultlessly,*+

Practicing what is right+

And speaking the truth in his heart.+

 3 He does not slander with his tongue,+

He does nothing bad to his neighbor,+

And he does not defame* his friends.+

 4 He rejects anyone who is contemptible,+

But he honors those fearing Jehovah.

 5 He does not lend his money on interest,+

And he does not accept a bribe against the innocent.+

 3 And the holy ones in the earth,

The majestic ones, bring me great delight.”+

I will never pour out their drink offerings of blood,

Nor will my lips mention their names.+

In your presence* is abundant joy;+

There is happiness* at your right hand forever.

17 Hear my plea for justice, O Jehovah;

Pay attention to my cry for help;

Listen to my prayer spoken without deceit.+

 2 May you make a just decision in my behalf;+

May your eyes see what is right.

 3 You have examined my heart, you have inspected me by night;+

You have refined me;+

You will find that I have not schemed anything bad,

And my mouth has not transgressed.

 4 As for the activities of men,

In accord with the word of your lips, I avoid the paths of the robber.+

 5 Let my steps stay on your tracks

So that my feet will not stumble.+

 7 Show your loyal love in a wonderful way,+

O Savior of those seeking refuge at your right hand

From those who rebel against you.

 8 Guard me like the pupil of your eye;+

Conceal me in the shadow of your wings.+

 9 Guard me from the wicked who attack me,

From my mortal enemies* who surround me.+

10 They have become insensitive;*

With their mouth they speak arrogantly;

11 Now they hem us in;+

They watch for the chance to cause our downfall.*

12 He is like a lion eager to tear its prey to pieces,

Like a young lion crouching in ambush.

13 Rise up, O Jehovah, to confront him+ and bring him down;

Rescue me* from the wicked with your sword;

14 Rescue me with your hand, O Jehovah,

From men of this world,* whose share is in this life,+

Those whom you fill with the good things you provide+

And who leave an inheritance to their many sons.

15 But as for me, in righteousness I will see your face;

I am satisfied to awaken in your presence.*+

My God is my rock,+ in whom I take refuge,

My shield and my horn* of salvation,* my secure refuge.*+

 3 I call on Jehovah, who is worthy of praise,

And I will be saved from my enemies.+

 4 The ropes of death encircled me;+

Flash floods of worthless men terrified me.+

 5 The ropes of the Grave* surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.+

 6 In my distress I called on Jehovah,

To my God I kept crying for help.

From his temple he heard my voice,+

And my cry to him for help reached his ears.+

 7 Then the earth began to shake and rock;+

The foundations of the mountains trembled

And shook back and forth because he had been angered.+

 8 Smoke ascended from his nostrils,

And a consuming fire came from his mouth;+

Glowing coals blazed from him.

 9 He made the heavens bend as he descended,+

And thick gloom was beneath his feet.+

11 He then covered himself in darkness,+

All around him as a shelter,

Dark waters and thick clouds.+

12 From the brightness before him

Hail and fiery coals broke through the clouds.

13 Then Jehovah began to thunder in the heavens;+

The Most High made his voice heard+

With hailstones and fiery coals.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;+

He hurled his lightning and threw them into confusion.+

15 The streambeds* became visible;+

The foundations of the land were exposed by your rebuke, O Jehovah,

By the blast of the breath from your nostrils.+

16 He reached down from on high;

He took hold of me and pulled me from deep waters.+

17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,+

From those hating me, who were stronger than I was.+

18 They confronted me on the day of my disaster,+

But Jehovah was my support.

19 He brought me out into a place of safety;*

He rescued me because he was pleased with me.+

20 Jehovah rewards me according to my righteousness;+

He repays me according to the innocence* of my hands.+

21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah,

And I have not wickedly abandoned my God.

22 All his judgments are before me;

I will not disregard his statutes.

23 I will remain blameless before him,+

And I will keep myself from error.+

24 May Jehovah repay me according to my righteousness,+

According to the innocence of my hands before him.+

25 With someone loyal you act in loyalty;+

With the blameless man you deal blamelessly;+

26 With the pure you show yourself pure,+

But with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.+

27 For you save those who are lowly*+

But you abase the haughty.*+

28 For it is you who light my lamp, O Jehovah,

My God who lights up my darkness.+

29 With your help I can charge against a marauder band;+

By God’s power I can scale a wall.+

30 The way of the true God is perfect;+

The saying of Jehovah is refined.+

32 The true God is the one who clothes me with strength,+

And he will make my way perfect.+

33 He makes my feet like those of a deer;

He makes me stand on high places.+

34 He trains my hands for warfare;

My arms can bend a bow of copper.

35 You give me your shield of salvation,+

Your right hand supports* me,

And your humility makes me great.+

36 You widen the path for my footsteps;

My feet* will not slip.+

37 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them;

I will not return until they are wiped out.

38 I will crush them so that they cannot rise up;+

They will fall under my feet.

39 You will equip me with strength for the battle;

You will make my foes collapse under me.+

40 You will make my enemies retreat from me,*

And I will put an end to* those who hate me.+

41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them;

They even cry to Jehovah, but he does not answer them.

42 I will pound them as fine as dust in the wind;

I will throw them out like mud in the streets.

44 At a mere report they will obey me;

Foreigners will come cringing before me.+

45 Foreigners will lose courage;*

They will come trembling from their strongholds.

47 The true God executes vengeance for me;+

He subdues the peoples under me.

48 He rescues me from my angry enemies;

You lift me high above those who attack me;+

You save me from the man of violence.

49 That is why I will glorify you among the nations, O Jehovah,+

And to your name I will sing praises.*+

50 He performs great acts of salvation* for his king;+

He displays loyal love to his anointed one,+

To David and his offspring* forever.+

19 The heavens are declaring the glory of God;+

The skies above* proclaim the work of his hands.+

 2 Day after day their speech bubbles forth,

And night after night they reveal knowledge.

 3 There is no speech, and there are no words;

Their voice is not heard.

 4 But into all the earth their sound* has gone out,

And to the ends of the inhabited earth* their message.+

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun;

 5 It is like a bridegroom emerging from the bridal chamber;

It rejoices like a mighty man running his course.

 6 It emerges from one end of the heavens,

And it circles to their other end;+

And nothing is concealed from its heat.

 8 The orders from Jehovah are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice;+

The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine.+

10 They are more desirable than gold,

Than much fine* gold,+

And sweeter than honey,+ the honey that drips from the combs.

11 By them your servant has been warned;+

In keeping them, there is a large reward.+

13 And hold your servant back from presumptuous acts;+

Do not let them dominate me.+

Then I will be complete,+

And innocent of blatant sins.*

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be pleasing to you,+ O Jehovah, my Rock+ and my Redeemer.+

 2 May he send you help from the holy place+

And sustain you from Zion.+

 3 May he remember all your gift offerings;

May he accept with favor* your burnt offering. (Selah)

 4 May he grant you the desires of your heart+

And give success to all your plans.*

 5 We will shout joyfully over your acts of salvation;+

We will lift our banners in the name of our God.+

He answers him from his holy heavens

With great salvation* by his right hand.+

 7 Some rely on chariots and others on horses,+

But we call on the name of Jehovah our God.+

 8 They have collapsed and fallen,

But we have risen up and been restored.+

21 O Jehovah, in your strength the king rejoices;+

How greatly he rejoices in your acts of salvation!+

 2 You have granted him the desire of his heart,+

And you have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah)

 3 For you meet him with rich blessings;

You place a crown of fine* gold on his head.+

 4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him,+

A long life,* forever and ever.

 6 You make him blessed forever;+

You make him glad with the joy of your presence.*+

 7 For the king trusts in Jehovah;+

Because of the loyal love of the Most High, he will never be shaken.*+

 8 Your hand will find all your enemies;

Your right hand will find those hating you.

10 Their descendants* you will destroy from the earth,

And their offspring from the sons of men.

11 For they intended to do what is bad against you;+

They have devised schemes that will not succeed.+

12 For you will make them retreat+

By aiming your bow* at them.*

Why are you far from saving me,

Far from my cries of anguish?+

 2 My God, I keep calling by day, and you do not answer;+

And by night there is no silence on my part.

 3 But you are holy,+

Surrounded by* the praises of Israel.

 4 In you our fathers put their trust;+

They trusted, and you kept rescuing them.+

 5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;

They trusted in you, and they were not disappointed.*+

 6 But I am a worm and not a man,

Scorned by* men and despised by the people.+

 7 All those seeing me mock me;+

They sneer and shake their heads in derision:+

 9 You were the One who brought me out of the womb,+

The One who made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.

10 I have been entrusted to your care* from birth;

From my mother’s womb, you have been my God.

11 Do not stay far off from me, for trouble is near+

And I have no other helper.+

12 Many young bulls surround me;+

Powerful bulls of Baʹshan encircle me.+

13 They open their mouth wide against me,+

Like a roaring lion that tears its prey to pieces.+

14 I am poured out like water;

All my bones are out of joint.

My heart has become like wax;+

It melts deep within me.+

15 My strength has dried up like a piece of pottery;+

My tongue sticks to my gums;+

You are bringing me down to the dust of death.+

16 For dogs surround me;+

They close in on me like a pack of evildoers,+

Like a lion they are at my hands and feet.+

18 They divide my garments among themselves,

And they cast lots for my clothing.+

20 Save me* from the sword,

My precious life* from the paws* of dogs;+

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion+ and the horns of wild bulls;

Answer and save me.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;+

In the midst of the congregation I will praise you.+

24 For he has not despised nor loathed the suffering of the oppressed one;+

He has not hidden his face from him.+

25 I will praise you in the large congregation;+

I will pay my vows before those who fear him.

26 The meek will eat and be satisfied;+

Those seeking Jehovah will praise him.+

28 For the kingship belongs to Jehovah;+

He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous ones* of the earth will eat and will bow down;

All those going down to the dust will kneel before him;

None of them can preserve their lives.*

30 Their descendants* will serve him;

The generation to come will be told about Jehovah.

 2 In grassy pastures he makes me lie down;

He leads me to well-watered resting-places.*+

 4 Though I walk in the valley of deep shadow,+

I fear no harm,+

For you are with me;+

Your rod and your staff reassure me.*

You refresh* my head with oil;+

My cup is well-filled.+

 6 Surely goodness and loyal love will pursue me all the days of my life,+

And I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for all my days.+

24 To Jehovah belong the earth and everything in it,+

The productive land and those dwelling on it.

 2 For he has solidly fixed it on the seas+

And firmly established it on the rivers.

 3 Who may ascend to the mountain of Jehovah,+

And who may stand up in his holy place?

 4 Anyone with innocent hands and a pure heart,+

Who has not sworn a false oath by My life,*

Nor taken an oath deceitfully.+

 5 He will receive blessings from Jehovah+

And righteousness* from his God of salvation.+

 6 This is the generation of those seeking him,

Of those seeking your face, O God of Jacob. (Selah)

 7 Lift up your heads, you gates;+

Open up,* you ancient doorways,

That the glorious King may enter!+

Jehovah, strong and mighty,+

Jehovah, mighty in battle.+

 9 Lift up your heads, you gates;+

Open up, you ancient doorways,

That the glorious King may enter!

 2 My God, I trust in you;+

Do not let me be put to shame.+

 3 Surely none who hope in you will be put to shame,+

But shame awaits those who are treacherous without cause.+

 4 Make me know your ways, O Jehovah;+

Teach me your paths.+

 5 Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me,+

For you are my God of salvation.

 6 Remember your mercy, O Jehovah, and your loyal love,+

Which you have always shown.*+

Remember me according to your loyal love,+

For the sake of your goodness, O Jehovah.+

 9 He will guide the meek in what is right,*+

And he will teach the meek ones his way.+

10 All the paths of Jehovah are loyal love and faithfulness

For those observing his covenant+ and his reminders.+

11 For the sake of your name, O Jehovah,+

Forgive my error, though it is great.

13 He* will experience what is good,+

And his descendants* will take possession of the earth.+

14 Close friendship with Jehovah belongs to those who fear him,+

And he makes his covenant known to them.+

15 My eyes are always toward Jehovah,+

For he will free my feet from the net.+

16 Turn your face to me and show me favor,

For I am alone and helpless.

17 The distresses of my heart have multiplied;+

Free me from my anguish.

18 See my affliction and my trouble,+

And pardon all my sins.+

19 See how numerous my enemies are

And how violent their hatred is for me.

21 May integrity and uprightness safeguard me,+

For my hope is in you.+

26 Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in my integrity;+

In Jehovah I have trusted without wavering.+

 2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and put me to the test;

Refine my innermost thoughts* and my heart.+

 3 For your loyal love is always in front of me,

And I walk in your truth.+

 4 I do not associate* with deceitful men,+

And I avoid those who hide what they are.*

 5 I hate the company of evil men,+

And I refuse to associate* with the wicked.+

 6 I will wash my hands in innocence,

And I will march around your altar, O Jehovah,

 7 To cause the sound of thanksgiving to be heard+

And to declare all your wonderful works.

 8 Jehovah, I love the house where you dwell,+

The place where your glory resides.+

 9 Do not sweep me* away with sinners+

Nor take my life away with violent men,*

10 Whose hands engage in shameful conduct,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.

12 My foot is standing on level ground;+

In the great congregation,* I will praise Jehovah.+

 2 When evil men attacked me to devour my flesh,+

My adversaries and my enemies were the ones who stumbled and fell.

 3 Though an army should set up camp against me,

My heart will not fear.+

Though war should break out against me,

Even then I will remain confident.

 4 One thing I have asked from Jehovah

—It is what I will look for—

That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life,+

To gaze upon the pleasantness of Jehovah

And to look with appreciation* upon his temple.*+

 5 For he will hide me in his shelter on the day of calamity;+

He will conceal me in the secret place of his tent;+

High on a rock he will place me.+

 6 Now my head is high above my enemies who surround me;

I will offer sacrifices at his tent with joyful shouting;

I will sing praises* to Jehovah.

 7 Hear me, O Jehovah, when I cry out;+

Show me favor and answer me.+

You are my helper;+

Do not forsake me or leave me, my God of salvation.

10 Even if my own father and mother abandon me,+

Jehovah himself will take me in.+

11 Instruct me in your way, O Jehovah,+

Lead me in the path of uprightness because of my foes.

12 Do not hand me over to my adversaries,*+

For false witnesses have risen up against me,+

And they threaten me with violence.

13 Where would I be if I did not have faith

That I would see Jehovah’s goodness in the land of the living?*+

14 Hope in Jehovah;+

Be courageous and strong of heart.+

28 To you I keep calling, O Jehovah my Rock;+

Do not turn a deaf ear to me.

If you keep silent toward me,

I will become like those going down to the pit.*+

 2 Hear my pleas when I cry to you for help

As I lift up my hands toward the innermost room of your sanctuary.+

 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those practicing what is hurtful,+

Those who are speaking words of peace with their fellow man while evil is in their hearts.+

 4 Pay them back for their deeds,+

According to their evil practices.

Repay them for the work of their hands,

According to what they have done.+

 5 For they pay no attention to the activities of Jehovah,+

Nor to the work of his hands.+

 6 May Jehovah be praised,

For he has heard my pleas for help.

 7 Jehovah is my strength+ and my shield;+

In him my heart trusts.+

I have received his help, and my heart rejoices,

So I will praise him with my song.

 8 Jehovah is a strength for his people;

He is a stronghold, bringing grand salvation to his anointed one.+

29 Give Jehovah his due, you sons of mighty ones,

Give Jehovah his due for his glory and strength.+

 3 The voice of Jehovah is heard over the waters;

The glorious God thunders.+

 4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful;+

The voice of Jehovah is splendid.

 5 The voice of Jehovah is breaking the cedars;

Yes, Jehovah shatters the cedars of Lebʹa·non.+

 6 He makes Lebʹa·non* skip like a calf,

And Sirʹi·on+ like a young wild bull.

 7 The voice of Jehovah strikes with flames of fire;+

 8 The voice of Jehovah makes the wilderness shudder;+

Jehovah makes the wilderness of Kaʹdesh+ shudder.

 9 The voice of Jehovah makes the deer shudder and give birth

And strips bare the forests.+

10 Jehovah sits enthroned above the flooding waters;*+

Jehovah sits enthroned as King forever.+

30 I will exalt you, O Jehovah, for you have lifted* me up;

You did not let my enemies rejoice over me.+

 4 Sing praises* to Jehovah, you his loyal ones,+

Give thanks to his holy name;*+

 5 Because being under his anger is only for a moment,+

But being in his favor* is for a lifetime.+

 8 To you, O Jehovah, I kept calling;+

And to Jehovah, I kept pleading for favor.

11 You have changed my mourning into dancing;

You have removed my sackcloth, and you clothe me with rejoicing,

12 So that I* may sing your praise and not keep silent.

Become for me a mountain stronghold,

A fortified place to save me.+

 3 For you are my crag and my stronghold;+

For the sake of your name,+ you will lead me and guide me.+

 4 You will free me from the net that they have secretly laid for me,+

For you are my fortress.+

 6 I hate those who are devoted to worthless, vain idols,

But as for me, I trust in Jehovah.

 7 I will rejoice greatly in your loyal love,

For you have seen my affliction;+

You are aware of my deep distress.*

 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy,

But you make me stand in a place of safety.*

10 My life is consumed with grief+

And my years with groaning.+

My strength is waning because of my error;

My bones grow weak.+

11 I am scorned by all my adversaries,+

Especially my neighbors.

And I am dreaded by my acquaintances;

When they see me in public, they flee from me.+

12 I am put out of their heart* and forgotten, as if I were dead;

I am like a broken jar.

13 I have heard many evil rumors;

Terror surrounds me.+

When they gather together as one against me,

They scheme to take away my life.*+

May the wicked be put to shame;+

May they be silenced in the Grave.*+

18 May lying lips become speechless,+

Lips that speak arrogantly against the righteous, with haughtiness and contempt.

You have stored it up for those who fear you,+

And you have shown it before all men, in behalf of those taking refuge in you.+

20 You will conceal them in the secret place of your presence+

From the schemes of men;

You will hide them in your shelter

From malicious attacks.*+

21 May Jehovah be praised,

For in a wonderful way, he has shown his loyal love to me+ in a besieged city.+

Jehovah protects the faithful,+

But he repays exceedingly anyone showing haughtiness.+

24 Be courageous, and may your heart be strong,+

All you who are waiting for Jehovah.+

 2 Happy is the man whom Jehovah does not charge with guilt,+

In whose spirit there is no deceit.

 5 Finally I confessed my sin to you;

I did not cover my error.+

 6 This is why every loyal one will pray to you+

While you may yet be found.+

 7 You are a hiding place for me;

You will safeguard me from distress.+

 9 Do not become like a horse or a mule, without understanding,+

Whose spiritedness must be controlled with a bridle or a halter

Before it will come near to you.”

10 Many are the pains of the wicked;

But the one trusting in Jehovah is surrounded by His loyal love.+

11 Rejoice in Jehovah and be joyful, you righteous ones;

Shout joyfully, all you who are upright in heart.

 2 Give thanks to Jehovah with the harp;

Sing praises* to him with a ten-stringed instrument.

 3 Sing to him a new song;+

Play skillfully on the strings, along with shouts of joy.

 4 For the word of Jehovah is upright,+

And everything he does is trustworthy.

 6 By the word of Jehovah the heavens were made,+

And by the spirit* of his mouth everything in them.*

 7 He gathers the seawaters like a dam;+

He puts the surging waters in storehouses.

 9 For he spoke, and it came to be;+

He commanded, and it stood firm.+

10 Jehovah has frustrated the schemes* of the nations;+

He has thwarted the plans* of the peoples.+

11 But the decisions* of Jehovah will stand forever;+

The thoughts of his heart are from generation to generation.

12 Happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah,+

The people he has chosen as his own possession.+

13 Jehovah looks down from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.+

14 From his place of residence,

He gazes on the inhabitants of the earth.

15 He is the one forming the hearts of all;

He examines all their works.+

16 No king is saved by a large army;+

A mighty man is not saved by his great power.+

17 The horse is a false hope for salvation;*+

Its great strength does not ensure escape.

18 Look! The eye of Jehovah watches over those fearing him,+

Those waiting for his loyal love,

19 To rescue them* from death

And to keep them alive during famine.+

21 Our hearts rejoice in him,

For we trust in his holy name.+

22 May your loyal love rest upon us, O Jehovah,+

While we keep waiting for you.+

34 I will praise Jehovah at all times;

His praise will be on my lips constantly.

 2 I* will boast in Jehovah;+

The meek will hear and rejoice.

 3 Magnify Jehovah along with me;+

Let us exalt his name together.

 5 Those who looked to him became radiant;

Their faces could not be put to shame.

 7 The angel of Jehovah camps all around those fearing Him,+

And he rescues them.+

 8 Taste and see that Jehovah is good;+

Happy is the man who takes refuge in him.

 9 Fear Jehovah, all you his holy ones,

For those who fear him lack nothing.+

10 Even strong young lions* have been reduced to hunger,

But those seeking Jehovah will lack nothing good.+

11 Come, my sons, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.+

12 Who among you takes pleasure in life

And would love to see many good days?+

13 Then guard your tongue from what is bad,+

Your lips from speaking deception.+

14 Turn away from what is bad and do what is good;+

Seek peace and pursue it.+

15 The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous,+

And his ears listen to their cry for help.+

16 But the face of Jehovah is against those doing what is bad,

To erase all memory of them from the earth.+

17 They cried out, and Jehovah heard;+

He rescued them from all their distresses.+

18 Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted;+

He saves those who are crushed in spirit.*+

19 Many are the hardships* of the righteous one,+

But Jehovah rescues him from them all.+

20 He is guarding all his bones;

Not one of them has been broken.+

21 Disaster will put the wicked to death;

Those hating the righteous will be found guilty.

22 Jehovah is redeeming the life* of his servants;

None of those taking refuge in him will be found guilty.+

35 O Jehovah, defend my case against my opposers;+

Fight against those who fight against me.+

 2 Take up your buckler* and large shield,+

And rise up to my defense.+

 5 May they become like chaff in the wind;

May Jehovah’s angel drive them away.+

 6 May their path be dark and slippery

As Jehovah’s angel pursues them.

 7 For without cause they have hidden a net to trap me;

Without cause they have dug a pit for me.*

 8 May disaster come upon him by surprise;

May the net that he hid catch him;

May he fall into it and be destroyed.+

 9 But I* will rejoice in Jehovah;

I will be joyful in his acts of salvation.

You rescue the helpless from those who are stronger,+

The helpless and the poor from those who rob them.”+

11 Malicious witnesses come forward,+

Asking me things I know nothing about.

12 They repay me with bad for good,+

Making me* feel bereaved.

13 But when they were ill, I clothed myself with sackcloth;

I afflicted myself* by fasting,

And when my prayer would return unanswered,*

14 I walked about mourning as for a friend or a brother of mine;

I bowed down in sorrow, like one mourning for his mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;

They gathered together to strike me down in ambush;

They tore me to pieces and did not keep silent.

16 The ungodly scornfully mock me,*

They grind their teeth against me.+

Rescue me* from their attacks,+

My precious life* from the young lions.*+

18 Then I will give thanks to you in the great congregation;+

I will praise you among the throngs of people.

19 Do not let those who for no reason are my enemies gloat over me;

Do not let those hating me without cause+ wink their eyes maliciously.+

20 For they do not speak words of peace,

But they deceptively scheme against the peaceful ones of the land.+

21 They open their mouth wide to accuse me,

Saying: “Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it.”

23 Awake and rise to my defense,

My God, Jehovah, defend me in my legal case.

24 Judge me according to your righteousness,+ O Jehovah my God;

Do not let them gloat over me.

26 Let all of them be put to shame and disgraced,

Those who gloat over my calamity.

27 But let those who take pleasure in my righteousness shout joyfully;

May they constantly say:

28 Then my tongue will recount* your righteousness+

And praise you all day long.+

36 Transgression speaks to the wicked one deep within his heart;

There is no fear of God before his eyes.+

 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much

To detect and hate his error.+

 3 The words of his mouth are hurtful and deceptive;

He shows no insight for doing what is good.

He is set on a path that is not good;

He does not reject what is bad.

 5 O Jehovah, your loyal love reaches to the heavens,+

Your faithfulness up to the clouds.

 6 Your righteousness is like majestic mountains;*+

Your judgments are like vast, deep waters.+

In the shadow of your wings,

The sons of men take refuge.+

 8 They drink their fill of the rich bounty* of your house,+

And you cause them to drink of the torrent of your delights.+

 9 With you is the source of life;+

By your light we can see light.+

10 Continue showing your loyal love to those who know you,+

And your righteousness, to the upright in heart.+

11 Do not let the foot of the haughty tread on me

Or the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 There the wrongdoers have fallen;

They have been knocked down and cannot get up.+

37 Do not be upset* because of evil men

Or envious of wrongdoers.+

 2 They will quickly wither like grass+

And shrivel like green new grass.

 3 Trust in Jehovah and do what is good;+

Reside in the earth,* and act with faithfulness.+

 4 Find exquisite delight* in Jehovah,

And he will grant you the desires of your heart.

 5 Commit your way to* Jehovah;+

Rely on him, and he will act in your behalf.+

 6 He will make your righteousness shine like daybreak,

And your justice like the midday sun.

 7 Keep silent before Jehovah+

And wait expectantly* for him.

Do not be upset by the man

Who succeeds in carrying out his schemes.+

 8 Let go of anger and abandon rage;+

Do not become upset and turn to doing evil.*

 9 For evil men will be done away with,+

But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth.+

10 Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more;+

You will look at where they were,

And they will not be there.+

11 But the meek will possess the earth,+

And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.+

12 The wicked man plots against the righteous;+

He grinds his teeth at him.

13 But Jehovah will laugh at him,

For He knows that his day will come.+

14 The wicked draw their swords and bend* their bows

To bring down the oppressed and the poor,

To slaughter those whose way is upright.

15 But their sword will pierce their own heart;+

Their bows will be broken.

16 Better is the little of the righteous one

Than the abundance of many wicked ones.+

17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But Jehovah will support the righteous.

18 Jehovah is aware of what the blameless go through,*

And their inheritance will last forever.+

19 They will not be put to shame in the time of disaster;

In the time of famine they will have plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish;+

The enemies of Jehovah will vanish like glorious pastures;

They will vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked one borrows and does not repay,

But the righteous one is generous* and giving.+

22 Those blessed by Him will possess the earth,

But those cursed by Him will be done away with.+

23 Jehovah guides* the steps of a man+

When He finds pleasure in his way.+

24 Although he may fall, he will not be hurled down,+

For Jehovah supports him by the hand.*+

25 I was once young and now I am old,

But I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned,+

Nor his children looking for bread.*+

26 He always lends freely,+

And his children are in line for a blessing.

27 Turn away from bad and do what is good,+

And you will remain forever.

28 For Jehovah loves justice,

And he will not abandon his loyal ones.+

They will always be guarded;+

But the descendants of the wicked will be done away with.+

29 The righteous will possess the earth,+

And they will live forever on it.+

30 The mouth of the righteous one imparts wisdom,*

And his tongue speaks about justice.+

31 The law of his God is in his heart;+

His steps will not falter.+

32 The wicked watches the righteous,

Seeking to put him to death.

33 But Jehovah will not abandon him to the hand of that one+

Or find him guilty when he is judged.+

34 Hope in Jehovah and follow his way,

And he will exalt you to take possession of the earth.

35 I have seen the ruthless, evil man

Spreading out like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.+

36 But he suddenly passed away and was gone;+

I kept searching for him, and he could not be found.+

37 Take note of the blameless one,*

And keep the upright one+ in sight,

For the future of that man will be peaceful.+

38 But all the transgressors will be destroyed;

The future of wicked people will be cut off.+

39 The salvation of the righteous is from Jehovah;+

He is their fortress in the time of distress.+

He will rescue them from the wicked and save them,

Because they take refuge in him.+

38 O Jehovah, do not reprove me in your anger,

Nor correct me in your wrath.+

 2 For your arrows have pierced deep into me,

And your hand presses down on me.+

 4 For my errors loom over my head;+

Like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.

 5 My wounds stink and fester

Because of my foolishness.

 6 I am distressed and extremely downcast;

I walk around sad all day long.

 7 There is a burning within me;*

My whole body is sick.+

 8 I have grown numb and become completely crushed;

My anguished heart makes me groan aloud.*

 9 O Jehovah, all my desires are before you,

And my sighing is not hidden from you.

10 My heart pounds, my strength is gone,

And the light of my eyes has left me.+

11 My friends and my companions avoid me because of my plague,

And my close acquaintances keep their distance.

12 Those seeking my life* set traps;

Those trying to harm me speak of ruin;+

They mutter deception all day long.

13 But like someone deaf, I would not listen;+

Like someone speechless, I would not open my mouth.+

14 I have become like a man who cannot hear,

Whose mouth has nothing to say in defense.

15 For on you, O Jehovah, I waited,+

And you answered me, O Jehovah my God.+

16 For I said: “May they not gloat over me

Or exalt themselves over me if my foot slips.”

17 For I was ready to collapse,

And my pain was always with me.+

18 I confessed my error;+

I was troubled by my sin.+

19 But my enemies are vigorous* and mighty,*

Those hating me for no reason have become numerous.

20 They repaid me with bad for good;

They were resisting me for pursuing what is good.

22 Do hurry to help me,

O Jehovah, my salvation.+

39 I said: “I will guard my step

To avoid sinning with my tongue.+

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle+

As long as anyone wicked is in my presence.”

 2 I was speechless and silent;+

I kept quiet even about what is good,

But my pain was intense.*

 4 “O Jehovah, help me to know what my end will be,

And the measure of my days,+

So that I may know how short my life is.*

 5 Indeed, you have made my days just a few;*+

And my life span is as nothing before you.+

 9 I remained speechless;

I could not open my mouth,+

Because this was your doing.+

11 You correct man with punishment for his error;+

You consume the things he treasures just as a moth does.

12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,

Listen to my cry for help.+

For I am but a foreign resident to you,+

A traveler passing through,* just like all my forefathers.+

13 Turn your harsh gaze away from me so that I may cheer up

Before I pass away and I am gone.”

40 I earnestly hoped in* Jehovah,

And he inclined his ear* to me and heard my cry for help.+

 2 He brought me up out of a roaring pit,

Out of the slimy mire.

And he set my feet upon a crag;

He made my footing secure.

 3 Then he put a new song in my mouth,+

Praise to our God.

Many will look on in awe

And put their trust in Jehovah.

 4 Happy is the man who trusts in Jehovah

And who does not look to the defiant or to those who are false.*

 5 How many things you have done,

O Jehovah my God,

Your wonderful works and your thoughts toward us.+

None can compare to you;+

If I were to try to tell and speak of them,

They would be too numerous to recount!+

 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,*+

But you opened up my ears to hear.+

 8 To do your will, O my God, is my delight,*+

And your law is deep within me.+

Look! I do not restrain my lips,+

O Jehovah, as you well know.

So many of my errors overwhelm me that I cannot see my way;+

They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,

And I have lost heart.

14 May all those seeking to take my life*

Be put to shame and disgraced.

May those who delight in my calamity

Retreat in humiliation.

16 But let those seeking you+

Exult and rejoice in you.+

17 But I am helpless and poor;

May Jehovah pay attention to me.

You are my helper and my rescuer;+

My God, do not delay.+

41 Happy is anyone who shows consideration to the lowly one;+

Jehovah will rescue him in the day of calamity.

He will be pronounced happy in the earth;+

You will never turn him over to the will* of his enemies.+

 3 Jehovah will sustain him on his sickbed;+

During his sickness you will completely change his bed.

He gathers something harmful to say;

Then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

 7 All those who hate me whisper to one another;

They are scheming something bad against me:

 8 “A dreadful thing has overtaken him;

Now that he is down, he will not rise again.”+

 9 Even the man at peace with me, one whom I trusted,+

Who was eating my bread, has lifted his heel against me.*+

10 But you, O Jehovah, show me favor and raise me up,

So that I may repay them.

12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity;+

You will keep me in your presence forever.+

13 May Jehovah, the God of Israel, be praised

Throughout all eternity.*+

42 As a deer that longs for streams of water,

So I long* for you, O God.

 3 My tears are my food day and night;

All day long people taunt me: “Where is your God?”+

 4 These things I remember, and I pour out my soul,*

For I once walked along with the multitude;

I used to walk solemnly* before them to the house of God,

With sounds of rejoicing and thanksgiving,

Those of a crowd celebrating a festival.+

Wait for God,+

For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior.+

That is why I remember you,+

From the land of Jordan and the peaks of Herʹmon,

From Mount Mi·zarʹ.*

 7 Deep waters call to deep waters

At the sound of your waterfalls.

 8 By day Jehovah will grant me his loyal love,

And by night his song will be with me—a prayer to the God of my life.+

10 With murderous hostility* my enemies taunt me;

All day long they taunt me: “Where is your God?”+

Wait for God,+

For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior and my God.+

43 Judge me, O God,+

Defend my legal case+ against a disloyal nation.

May these lead me;+

May they guide me to your holy mountain and to your grand tabernacle.+

 4 Then I will come to the altar of God,+

To God, my exceeding joy.

Wait for God,+

For I will yet praise him as my Grand Savior and my God.+

44 O God, we have heard with our own ears,

Our forefathers have recounted to us,+

The deeds you accomplished in their days,

In the days of long ago.

 2 With your hand you drove away nations+

And settled our forefathers there.+

 3 It was not by their own sword that they took possession of the land,+

And their own arm did not bring them victory.+

Rather, it was by your right hand and your arm+ and the light of your face,

For you took pleasure in them.+

 4 You are my King, O God;+

Command* complete victory* for Jacob.

 5 By your power we will drive back our adversaries;+

In your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.+

 6 For I do not trust in my bow,

And my sword cannot save me.+

 7 It was you who saved us from our adversaries,+

You who humiliated those who hate us.

 8 To God we will offer praise all day long,

And we will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)

 9 But now you have cast us off and humiliated us,

And you do not go out with our armies.

10 You keep making us retreat from our adversary;+

Those who hate us take whatever they want.

11 You hand us over to be devoured like sheep;

You have scattered us among the nations.+

12 You sell your people for next to nothing;+

You make no profit from the sale.*

13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,

An object of ridicule and jeering to those all around us.

14 You make us an object of scorn* among the nations,+

Something for the peoples to shake their heads at.

15 I feel humiliated all day long,

And I am overwhelmed by my shame,

16 On account of the sound of their taunts and insults,

Because of our enemy who is taking revenge.

17 All of this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you,

And we have not violated your covenant.+

18 Our heart has not deviated;

Our footsteps do not stray from your path.

19 But you have crushed us where the jackals dwell;

You have covered us with deep shadow.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God

Or if we spread out our hands in prayer to a foreign god,

21 Will not God discover this?

22 For your sake we are being put to death all day long;

We have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.+

25 For we* have been brought down to the dust;

Our bodies are pressed to the ground.+

 3 Strap your sword+ on your side, O mighty one,+

In your dignity and your splendor.+

 4 And in your splendor go on to victory;*+

Ride in the cause of truth and humility and righteousness,+

And your right hand will accomplish* awe-inspiring things.

 5 Your arrows are sharp, making peoples fall before you;+

They pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies.+

 6 God is your throne forever and ever;+

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness.*+

 8 All your garments are scented with myrrh and aloeswood and cassia;

From the grand ivory palace, stringed instruments make you rejoice.

10 Listen, O daughter, pay attention and incline your ear;

Forget your people and your father’s house.

11 And the king will long for your beauty,

For he is your lord,

So bow down to him.

12 The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;

The wealthiest of men will seek your favor.*

13 Inside the palace* the king’s daughter is absolutely magnificent;

Her clothing is adorned with* gold.

15 They will be brought with rejoicing and joy;

They will enter into the king’s palace.

46 God is our refuge and strength,+

A help that is readily found in times of distress.+

 2 That is why we will not fear, though the earth undergoes change,

Though the mountains topple into the depths of the sea,+

 3 Though its waters roar and foam over,+

Though the mountains rock on account of its turbulence. (Selah)

 4 There is a river the streams of which make the city of God rejoice,+

The holy grand tabernacle of the Most High.

 6 The nations were in an uproar, the kingdoms were overthrown;

He raised his voice, and the earth melted.+

 7 Jehovah of armies is with us;+

The God of Jacob is our secure refuge.* (Selah)

 8 Come and witness the activities of Jehovah,

How he has done astonishing things on the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

He burns the military wagons* with fire.

I will be exalted among the nations;+

I will be exalted in the earth.”+

11 Jehovah of armies is with us;+

The God of Jacob is a secure refuge for us.+ (Selah)

 2 For Jehovah the Most High is awe-inspiring;+

He is the great King over all the earth.+

 3 He subdues peoples under us;

He puts nations under our feet.+

 4 He chooses our inheritance for us,+

The pride of Jacob, whom he loves.+ (Selah)

 5 God has ascended amid joyful shouting;

Jehovah, amid the sound of the horn.*

 7 For God is King of all the earth;+

Sing praises, and show insight.

 9 The leaders of the peoples have gathered together

With the people of the God of Abraham.

48 Jehovah is great and most worthy of praise

In the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

 2 Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth,+

Is Mount Zion in the far north,

The city of the Grand King.+

 3 In her fortified towers,

God has made known that he is a secure refuge.*+

 4 For look! kings have assembled;*

Together they have advanced.

 6 Trembling seized them there,

Anguish like that of a woman giving birth.

 8 What we heard about, we have now seen for ourselves

In the city of Jehovah of armies, in the city of our God.

 9 We ponder your loyal love, O God,+

Within your temple.

10 Like your name, O God, your praise

Reaches to the ends of the earth.+

11 May Mount Zion+ rejoice,

May the towns* of Judah be joyful, because of your judgments.+

12 March around Zion; go all around it;

Count its towers.+

Inspect its fortified towers,

So that you may tell about it to future generations.

Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world,*

 2 Both small and great,*

Rich and poor alike.

 3 My own mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart+ will show understanding.

 4 I will pay attention to a proverb;

I will expound my riddle with the harp.

 5 Why should I fear during times of trouble,+

When I am surrounded by the evil* of those trying to overthrow me?

 6 Those who are trusting in their wealth+

And who boast about their great riches,+

 7 None of them can ever redeem a brother

Or give to God a ransom for him,+

 8 (The ransom* price for their life* is so precious

That it is always beyond their reach);

 9 That he should live forever and not see the pit.*+

10 He sees that even wise people die;

The stupid and the unreasoning perish together,+

And they must leave their wealth to others.+

11 Their inner wish is that their houses will last forever,

Their tents to generation after generation.

12 But man, although honored, will not remain;+

He is no better than the beasts that perish.+

13 This is the way of the stupid ones+

And of those who follow them, who take pleasure in their empty words. (Selah)

Death will shepherd them;

The upright will rule over them+ in the morning.

Every trace of them will fade away;+

The Grave*+ rather than a palace will be their home.+

15 But God will redeem me* from the power* of the Grave,*+

For he will take hold of me. (Selah)

16 Do not be afraid because a man becomes rich,

Because the splendor of his house increases,

17 For when he dies he can take nothing with him;+

His splendor will not go down with him.+

20 A man who does not understand this, although honored,+

Is no better than the beasts that perish.

50 The God of gods, Jehovah,*+ has spoken;

He summons the earth

From the rising of the sun until its setting.*

Before him is a consuming fire,+

And a great storm rages all around him.+

 4 He summons the heavens above and the earth,+

So as to judge his people:+

 5 “Gather to me my loyal ones,

Those making a covenant with me over sacrifice.”+

 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

For God himself is Judge.+ (Selah)

 7 “Listen, O my people, and I will speak;

Israel, I will bear witness against you.+

 8 I do not reprove you because of your sacrifices,

Nor because of your whole burnt offerings that are constantly before me.+

 9 I do not need to take a bull from your house,

Nor goats* from your pens.+

10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine,+

Even the beasts upon a thousand mountains.

11 I know every bird of the mountains;+

The countless animals of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,

For the productive land and everything in it is mine.+

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls

And drink the blood of goats?+

14 Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God,+

And pay your vows to the Most High;+

15 Call on me in the time of distress.+

“What right do you have to relate my regulations+

Or to speak about my covenant?+

17 For you hate discipline,*

And you keep turning your back on my words.*+

18 When you see a thief, you approve of him,*+

And you keep company with adulterers.

19 You use your mouth to spread what is bad,

And deception is attached to your tongue.+

20 You sit and speak against your own brother;+

You reveal the faults of* your own mother’s son.

21 When you did these things, I remained silent,

So you thought that I would be just like you.

But now I will reprove you,

And I will state my case against you.+

22 Please consider this, you who forget God,+

So that I may not tear you to pieces with no one to rescue you.

23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me,+

And as for the one who follows a set course,

I will cause him to see salvation by God.”+

 2 Thoroughly wash me from my error,+

And cleanse me from my sin.+

 3 For I am well-aware of my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.*+

 4 Against you—you above all*—I have sinned;+

What is bad in your eyes I have done.+

Therefore, you are righteous when you speak,

You are right in your judgment.+

 5 Look! I was born guilty of error,

And my mother conceived me in sin.*+

 6 Look! You find pleasure in truth in the inner person;+

Teach my innermost self* true wisdom.

 7 Purify me from my sin with hyssop, so that I will be clean;+

Wash me, so that I will be whiter than snow.+

 8 Let me hear sounds of joy and rejoicing,

So that the bones you crushed will rejoice.+

 9 Turn your face away* from my sins,+

And wipe away* all my errors.+

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,+

And put within me a new spirit,+ a steadfast one.

11 Do not cast me out from your presence;

And do not take your holy spirit away from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation;+

Stir within me a willingness to obey you.*

13 I will teach transgressors your ways,+

So that sinners will return to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt,+ O God, the God of my salvation,+

So that my tongue may joyfully declare your righteousness.+

15 O Jehovah, open my lips,

So that my mouth may declare your praise.+

16 For you do not want a sacrifice—otherwise I would give it;+

You do not find delight in a whole burnt offering.+

17 The sacrifices pleasing to God are a broken spirit;

A heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not reject.*+

18 In your goodwill do what is good for Zion;

Build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will take delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,

The burnt sacrifices and the whole offerings;

Then bulls will be offered up on your altar.+

 2 Your tongue, as sharp as a razor,+

Schemes harm and works deceitfully.+

 3 You love evil more than what is good,

Lying more than speaking what is right. (Selah)

 4 You love every harmful word,

O you deceitful tongue!

 5 That is why God will pull you down once and for all;+

He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent;+

He will uproot you from the land of the living.+ (Selah)

 6 The righteous ones will see it and be filled with awe,+

And they will laugh at him.+

 7 “Here is a man who did not make God his refuge,*+

But he trusted in his great riches+

And relied on* his own evil plots.”*

 8 But I will be like a luxuriant olive tree in God’s house;

My trust is in God’s loyal love,+ forever and ever.

 9 I will praise you forever because you have taken action;+

In the presence of your loyal ones,

I will hope in your name,+ for it is good.

Their unrighteous actions are corrupt and detestable;

No one is doing good.+

 2 But God looks down from heaven on the sons of men+

To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah.+

 3 They have all turned away;

They are all alike corrupt.

No one is doing good,

Not even one.+

 5 But they will be filled with great terror,

Terror they have never felt before,*

For God will scatter the bones of those attacking you.*

When Jehovah gathers back his captive people,

Let Jacob be joyful, let Israel rejoice.

54 O God, save me by your name,+

And defend me*+ with your power.

 2 O God, hear my prayer;+

Pay attention to the words of my mouth.

 3 For strangers rise up against me,

And ruthless men seek my life.*+

 4 Look! God is my helper;+

Jehovah is with those supporting me.*

 5 He will repay my foes+ with their own evil;

In your faithfulness, put an end to* them.+

 7 For he saves me from every distress,+

And I will look in triumph on my enemies.+

55 Listen to my prayer, O God,+

And do not ignore my request for mercy.*+

My concern makes me restless,+

And I am distraught

 3 Because of what the enemy is saying

And the pressure from the wicked one.

For they heap trouble upon me,

And in anger they harbor animosity against me.+

 4 My heart is in anguish within me,+

And the terrors of death overwhelm me.+

 5 Fear and trembling come upon me,

And shuddering grips me.

 8 I would hurry to a place of shelter

Away from the raging wind, away from the storm.”

 9 Confuse them, O Jehovah, and frustrate their plans,*+

For I have seen violence and conflict in the city.

10 Day and night they walk around on its walls;

Within it are malice and trouble.+

11 Ruin is in its midst;

Oppression and deception never depart from its public square.+

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me;+

Otherwise I could put up with it.

It is not a foe who has risen up against me;

Otherwise I could conceal myself from him.

13 But it is you, a man like me,*+

My own companion whom I know well.+

14 We used to enjoy a warm friendship together;

Into the house of God we used to walk along with the multitude.

Let them go down alive into the Grave;*

For evil resides among them and within them.

16 As for me, I will call out to God,

And Jehovah will save me.+

17 Evening and morning and noontime, I am troubled and I groan,*+

And he hears my voice.+

18 He will rescue* me and give me* peace from those fighting against me,

For multitudes come against me.+

19 God will hear and respond to them,+

The one who sits enthroned from of old.+ (Selah)

They will refuse to change,

Those who have not feared God.+

20 He* attacked those at peace with him;+

He violated his covenant.+

21 His words are smoother than butter,+

But conflict is in his heart.

His words are softer than oil,

But they are drawn swords.+

22 Throw your burden on Jehovah,+

And he will sustain you.+

 2 My foes keep snapping at me all day long;

Many arrogantly fight against me.

 4 In God—whose word I praise—

In God I put my trust; I am not afraid.

 5 All day long they hurt my interests;

Their only thought is to harm me.+

 6 They conceal themselves to attack;

They watch my every step,+

Hoping to take away my life.*+

10 In God—whose word I praise—

In Jehovah—whose word I praise—

11 In God I put my trust; I am not afraid.+

12 I am bound by my vows to you, O God;+

I will offer you expressions of thanksgiving.+

13 For you have rescued me* from death+

And prevented my feet from stumbling,+

So that I may walk before God in the light of the living.+

57 Show me favor, O God, show me favor,

For I take* refuge in you,+

And in the shadow of your wings I take refuge until the troubles pass.+

 2 I call to God the Most High,

To the true God, who brings them to an end for me.

 4 I am* surrounded by lions;+

I must lie among men who want to devour me,

Whose teeth are spears and arrows

And whose tongue is a sharp sword.+

 5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

May your glory be over all the earth.+

 6 They have prepared a net to ensnare my feet;+

I am* bowed down with distress.+

They have dug a pit ahead of me,

But they fell into it themselves.+ (Selah)

 7 My heart is steadfast, O God,+

My heart is steadfast.

 9 I will praise you among the peoples, O Jehovah;+

I will sing praises* to you among the nations.+

10 For your loyal love is great, as high as the heavens,+

And your faithfulness, up to the skies.

11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

May your glory be over all the earth.+

 2 Instead, you devise unrighteousness in your heart,+

And your hands dispense violence in the land.+

 3 The wicked go astray* from birth;*

They are wayward, liars from the time they are born.

 4 Their venom is like the venom of serpents;+

They are deaf like the cobra that stops up its ear.

 5 It will not listen to the voice of charmers,

No matter how skillful their spells.

 8 May they be like a snail that melts away as it moves along;

Like a woman’s stillborn child who never sees the sun.

 9 Before your cooking pots feel the heat of the bramble,

He will sweep away both the moist and the burning twig, as in a storm wind.+

10 The righteous one will rejoice because he has seen the vengeance;+

His feet will be drenched with the blood of the wicked.+

59 Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;+

Protect me from those rising up against me.+

 2 Rescue me from those who act wickedly,

And save me from violent* men.

 3 Look! They wait to ambush me;*+

Strong men attack me

But not because I have revolted or sinned,+ O Jehovah.

 6 They return each evening;+

They growl* like dogs+ and prowl around the city.+

 7 Look what pours* forth from their mouth;

Their lips are like swords,+

For they say: “Who is listening?”+

 8 But you, O Jehovah, will laugh at them;+

You will scoff at all the nations.+

 9 O my Strength, I will keep watch for you;+

For God is my secure refuge.*+

10 The God who shows loyal love to me will come to my aid;+

God will cause me to look in triumph on my foes.+

By your power make them wander about;

Cause their downfall, O Jehovah, our shield.+

12 For the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips,

May they be trapped by their pride,+

Because of the cursing and deception that they speak.

13 Finish them off in your wrath;+

Finish them off, so that they are no more;

Make them know that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.+ (Selah)

14 Let them return in the evening;

Let them growl* like dogs and prowl around the city.+

15 Let them wander about for something to eat;+

Do not let them be satisfied or find a lodging place.

16 But as for me, I will sing about your strength;+

In the morning I will joyfully tell about your loyal love.

For you are my secure refuge+

And a place for me to flee in my time of distress.+

17 O my Strength, to you I will sing praises,*+

For God is my secure refuge, the God who shows loyal love to me.+

 4 Give* a signal to those fearing you

To flee and dodge the bow. (Selah)

 5 So that your loved ones may be rescued,

Save us with your right hand and answer us.+

“I will exult, I will give out Sheʹchem as an inheritance,+

And I will measure off the Valley* of Sucʹcoth.+

 7 Gilʹe·ad belongs to me, as does Ma·nasʹseh,+

And Eʹphra·im is the helmet* for my head;

Judah is my commander’s staff.+

10 Is it not you, O God, who have rejected us,

Our God, who no longer goes out with our armies?+

11 Help us in our distress,

For salvation by humans is worthless.+

12 By God we will gain power,+

And he will trample on our adversaries.+

 2 From the ends of the earth I will cry out to you

When my heart is in despair.*+

 3 For you are my refuge,

A strong tower that protects me from the enemy.+

 4 I will be a guest in your tent forever;+

I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings.+ (Selah)

 6 You will add days to the life* of the king,+

And his years will be from generation to generation.

 7 He will sit enthroned* forever before God;+

Grant him* loyal love and faithfulness, so that these may safeguard him.+

 8 Then I will sing praises* to your name forever+

As I pay my vows day after day.+

 2 Indeed, he is my rock and my salvation, my secure refuge;*+

I will never be greatly shaken.+

 4 For they consult together to topple him from his high position;*

They take pleasure in lying.

 5 Indeed, I wait silently* for God+

Because my hope comes from him.+

 6 Indeed, he is my rock and my salvation, my secure refuge;

I will never be shaken.+

 9 The sons of men are a mere breath,

The sons of mankind are a delusion.+

10 Do not trust in extortion

Or put false hopes in robbery.

12 Also loyal love is yours, O Jehovah,+

For you repay each one according to his deeds.+

I am* faint with longing for you

In a dry and parched land, where there is no water.+

 2 So I have looked upon you in the holy place;

I have seen your strength and your glory.+

 3 Because your loyal love is better than life,+

My own lips will glorify you.+

 4 Thus I will praise you all my life;

In your name I will lift up my hands.

 5 I am* satisfied with the best and choicest portion,*

So my mouth will praise you with joy on my lips.+

 6 I remember you while upon my bed;

I meditate on you during the watches of the night.+

 7 For you are my helper,+

And I shout joyfully in the shadow of your wings.+

 8 I cling* to you;

Your right hand keeps fast hold on me.+

 9 But those who seek to destroy my life*

Will descend into the depths of the earth.

10 They will be handed over to the power of the sword;

They will become food for jackals.*

Every person swearing by Him will exult,*

For the mouth of those speaking lies will be silenced.

 2 Shield me from the secret plots of wicked men,+

From the crowd of wrongdoers.

 3 They sharpen their tongue just like a sword;

They aim their cruel words like arrows,

 4 To shoot at the innocent from their hiding places;

They shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

 5 They hold fast to their evil intent;*

They discuss how to hide their traps.

 6 They search out new ways of wrongdoing;

They secretly devise their shrewd strategy;+

The thinking within each one’s heart is unfathomable.

 7 But God will shoot at them;+

Suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow.

 8 Their own tongue will cause their downfall;+

All those looking on will shake their head.

 9 Then all men will become afraid,

And they will proclaim what God has done,

And they will have insight into his deeds.+