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New Jerusalem Bible
The PsalmsThe Psalter is Israel's hymnbook. It includes prayers for every occasion in the nation's life: for the solemn Temple liturgy as well as private, meditative prayer; prayers after victory and defeat, in joy and in sorrow; prayers of thankful praise and prayers of sad entreaty. Many are royal prayers, at an enthronement or royal wedding, and show the messianic hopes centred on David's line; others celebrate the kingship of Yahweh. Although the historical data given in the italicised titles are later and unreliable, historical allusions in the psalms themselves and the language show a vast range of dates, spreading from David's time right down to the Maccabaean era. The tradition of David's own association with the liturgy and the psalms is so strong that some may even stem from him. Some were composed for different schools of Temple singers, and other earlier, partial collections existed, which explains some duplication and overlap. This is the poetry of a vivid and passionate people. It uses colourful, even wild, imagery of despair, of God's intervention, of hopes for future prosperity, and prays for violent revenge on opponents, protesting innocence and guilt with similar whole-hearted sincerity. In this edition the Hebrew numbering of the Psalms is used. From Psalm 10 to Psalm 147 this is ahead of the Greek and Vulgate numbering.
Psalm 1
the two paths
1How blessed is anyone
who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
2but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law day and night.
3Such a one is like a tree planted
near streams;
it bears fruit in season
and its leaves never wither,
and every project succeeds.
4How different the wicked, how different!
Just like chaff
blown around by the wind
5the wicked will not stand firm at the Judgement
nor sinners in the gathering of the upright.
6For Yahweh watches over the path of the upright,
but the path of the wicked is doomed.Psalm 2
the messianic drama
1Why this uproar among the nations,
this impotent muttering of the peoples?
2Kings of the earth take up position,
princes plot together against Yahweh and his Anointed,
3"Now let us break their fetters!
Now let us throw off their bonds!"
4He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs,
Yahweh makes a mockery of them,
5then in his anger rebukes them,
in his rage he strikes them with terror.
6"I myself have anointed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain."
7I will proclaim the decree of Yahweh:
He said to me, "You are my son,
today have I fathered you.
8Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations as your birthright,
the whole wide world as your possession.
9With an iron sceptre you will break them,
shatter them like so many pots."
10So now, you kings, come to your senses,
you earthly rulers, learn your lesson!
11In fear be submissive to Yahweh;
12with trembling kiss his feet,
lest he be angry and your way come to nothing,
for his fury flares up in a moment.
How blessed are all who take refuge in him!Psalm 3
Morning prayer of the upright in persecution
Psalm Of David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom1Yahweh, how countless are my enemies,
how countless those who rise up against me,
2how countless those who say of me,
"No salvation for him from his God!" Pause
3But you, Yahweh, the shield at my side,
my glory, you hold my head high.
4I cry out to Yahweh;
he answers from his holy mountain. Pause
5As for me, if I lie down and sleep,
I shall awake, for Yahweh sustains me.
6I have no fear of people in their thousands upon thousands,
who range themselves against me wherever I turn.
7Arise, Yahweh,
rescue me, my God!
You strike all my foes across the face,
you break the teeth of the wicked.
8In Yahweh is salvation,
on your people, your blessing! PausePsalm 4
For the choirmaster for strings Psalm Of David
Evening prayer1When I call, answer me, God, upholder of my right.
In my distress you have set me at large;
take pity on me and hear my prayer!
2Children of men, how long will you be heavy of heart,
why love what is vain and chase after illusions? Pause
3Realise that Yahweh performs wonders for his faithful,
Yahweh listens when I call to him.
4Be careful not to sin,
speak in your hearts, and on your beds keep silence. Pause
5Loyally offer sacrifices, and trust in Yahweh.
6Many keep saying, "Who will put happiness before our eyes?"
Let the light of your face shine on us. Yahweh,
7to my heart you are a richer joy
than all their corn and new wine.
8In peace I lie down and at once fall asleep,
for it is you and none other, Yahweh, who make me rest secure.Psalm 5
morning prayer
for the choirmaster for flutes psalm of David1Give ear to my words, Yahweh,
spare a thought for my sighing.
2Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God!
To you I pray, 3Yahweh.
At daybreak you hear my voice;
at daybreak I lay my case before you
and fix my eyes on you.
4You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil,
no sinner can be your guest.
5Boasters cannot stand their ground
under your gaze.
You hate evil-doers,
6liars you destroy;
the violent and deceitful
Yahweh detests.
7But, so great is your faithful love,
I may come into your house,
and before your holy temple bow down
in reverence of you.
8In your saving justice, Yahweh, lead me,
because of those who lie in wait for me;
make your way plain before me.
9Not a word from their lips can be trusted,
through and through they are destruction,
their throats are wide-open graves,
their tongues seductive.
10Lay the guilt on them, God,
make their intrigues their own downfall;
for their countless offences, thrust them from you,
since they have rebelled against you.
11But joy for all who take refuge in you,
endless songs of gladness!
You shelter them, they rejoice in you,
those who love your name.
12It is you who bless the upright, Yahweh,
you surround them with favour as with a shield.Psalm 6
Supplication in time of trial
*[The first of the seven Penitential Psalms (6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 142).]
For the choirmaster For strings For the octachord Psalm of David1Yahweh, let your rebuke to me not be in anger,
your punishment not in the heat of wrath.
2Have pity on me, Yahweh, for I am fading away.
Heal me, Yahweh, my bones are shaken,
3my spirit is shaken to its very depths.
But you, Yahweh... how long?
4Yahweh, relent and save my life
rescue me because of your faithful love,
5for in death there is no remembrance of you;
who could sing your praises in Sheol?
6I am worn out with groaning,
every night I drench my pillow
and soak my bed with tears.
7My eyes waste away with vexation.
Arrogance from all my foes!
8Away from me, all evil-doers!
For Yahweh has heard the sound of my weeping,
9Yahweh has heard my pleading.
Yahweh will accept my prayer.
10Let all my enemies be put to confusion, shaken to their depths,
let them retreat in sudden confusion.Psalm 7
Prayer of the upright in persecution
Lament Of David Which he sang to Yahweh about Cush the Benjaminite1Yahweh my God, I take refuge in you,
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
2or he will savage me like a lion, carry me off
with no one to rescue me.
3Yahweh my God, if I have done this:
if injustice has stained my hands,
4if I have repaid my ally with treachery
or spared one who attacked me unprovoked,
5may an enemy hunt me down and catch me,
may he trample my life into the ground
and crush my vital parts into the dust! Pause
6Arise, Yahweh, in your anger,
rise up against the arrogance of my foes.
Awake, my God, you demand judgement.
7Let the assembly of nations gather round you;
return above it on high!
8(Yahweh judges the nations.)
Judge me, Yahweh, as my uprightness
and my integrity deserve.
9Put an end to the malice of the wicked,
make the upright stand firm,
you who discern hearts and minds,
God the upright.
10God is a shield that protects me,
saving the honest of heart.
11God is an upright judge,
slow to anger,
but a God at all times threatening
12for those who will not repent.
Let the enemy whet his sword,
draw his bow and make ready;
13but he is making ready instruments of death for himself
and tipping his arrows with fire;
14look at him: pregnant with malice,
conceiving spite, he gives birth to treachery.
15He digs a trap, scoops it out,
but he falls into the snare he made himself.
16His spite recoils on his own head,
his brutality falls back on his own skull.
17I thank Yahweh for his saving justice.
I sing to the name of the Most High.Psalm 8
The power of God's name
For the choirmaster on the ... of Gath1Yahweh our Lord,
how majestic is your name throughout the world!
Whoever keeps singing of your majesty higher than the heavens,
2even through the mouths of children, or of babes in arms,
you make him a fortress, firm against your foes,
to subdue the enemy and the rebel.
3I look up at your heavens, shaped by your fingers,
at the moon and the stars you set firm -
4what are human beings that you spare a thought for them,
or the child of Adam that you care for him?
5Yet you have made him little less than a god,
you have crowned him with glory and beauty,
6made him lord of the works of your hands,
put all things under his feet,
7sheep and cattle, all of them,
and even the wild beasts,
8birds in the sky, fish in the sea,
when he makes his way across the ocean.
9Yahweh our Lord,
how majestic your name throughout the world!Psalm 9-10
God strikes the wicked and saves the humble
For the choirmaster On oboe and harp Psalm Of David[One poem with initial letters in alphabetical order, though in our corrupt text some are missing.]
Aleph
1I thank you, Yahweh, with my whole heart,
I recount all your wonders,
2I rejoice and delight in you,
I sing to your name, Most High.
Beth
3My enemies are in retreat,
they stumble and perish at your presence,
4for you have given fair judgment in my favor,
seated on your throne as upright judge.
Gimel
5You have rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked,
blotted out their name forever and ever;
6the enemy is wiped out - mere ruins for ever -
you have annihilated their cities, their memory has perished.
He
See, 7Yahweh is enthroned forever,
keeping his throne firm for judgment;
8he will himself judge the world in uprightness,
will give a true verdict on the nations.
Waw
9May Yahweh be a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble!
10Those who revere your name can rely on you,
you never desert those who seek you, Yahweh.
Zain
11Sing to Yahweh who dwells in Zion,
tell the nations his mighty deeds,
12for the avenger of blood does not forget them,
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
Het
13Have pity on me, Yahweh, see my affliction,
pull me back from the gates of death,
14that I may recount all your praises
at the gates of the daughter of Zion
and rejoice in your salvation.
Tet
15The nations have fallen into the trap they made,
their feet caught in the snare they laid.
16Yahweh has made himself known, given judgement,
he has ensnared the wicked in the work of their own hands. Muted music Pause
Yod
17May the wicked turn away to Sheol,
all the nations forgetful of God.
Kaph
18For the needy is not forgotten for ever,
not for ever does the hope of the poor come to nothing.
19Arise, Yahweh; human strength shall not prevail.
The nations shall stand trial before you.
20Strike them with terror, Yahweh;
the nations shall know that they are no more than human! Pause
Psalm 10
Lamed
1Why, Yahweh, do you keep so distant,
stay hidden in times of trouble?
2In his pride the wicked hunts down the weak,
who is caught in the schemes he devises.(Mem)
3The wicked is proud of his inmost desires,
by his blasphemies the grasping spurns Yahweh,(Nun)
4the wicked in his arrogance does not look very far;
"There is no God," is his only thought.
5In all circumstances his step is assured;
your judgements are above his head.
His rivals? He scoffs at them all.
6He says in his heart, "I shall never be shaken,"
free of trouble himself, 7he wishes it on others.(Samek)
PeHis speech is full of lies and browbeating,
under his tongue lurk spite and wickedness.
8In the undergrowth he lies in ambush,
in his hiding-place he murders the innocent.Ain
He watches intently for the downtrodden,
9lurking unseen like a lion in his lair,
lurking to pounce on the poor;
he pounces on him and drags him off in his net.(Zade)
10He keeps watch, crouching down low,
the poor wretch falls into his clutches;
11he says in his heart, "God forgets,
he has turned away his face to avoid seeing the end."Qoph
12Rise, Yahweh! God, raise your hand,
do not forget the afflicted!
13Why should the wicked spurn God,
assuring himself you will never follow it up?Resh
14You have seen for yourself the trouble and vexation,
you watch so as to take it in hand.
The oppressed relies on you;
you are the only recourse of the orphan.Shin
15Break the arm of the wicked and evil,
seek out wickedness till there is none left to be found.
16Yahweh is king forever and ever,
the heathen has vanished from his country.Taw
17Yahweh, you listen to the laments of the poor,
you give them courage, you grant them a hearing,
18to give judgement for the orphaned and exploited,
so that earthborn humans may strike terror no more.Psalm 11 (v10)
The confidence of the upright
For the choirmaster of David1In Yahweh I have found refuge.
How can you say to me,
"Bird, flee to your mountain?
2"For look, the wicked are drawing their bows,
fitting their arrows to the string to shoot honest men from the shadows.
3If the foundations fall to ruin, what can the upright do?"
4Yahweh in his holy temple!
Yahweh, his throne is in heaven;
his eyes watch over the world,
his gaze scrutinises the children of Adam.
5Yahweh examines the upright and the wicked,
the lover of violence he detests.
6He will rain down red-hot coals, fire and sulphur on the wicked,
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7For Yahweh is upright and loves uprightness,
the honest will ever see his face.Psalm 12 (V 11)
Against a treacherous world
For the choirmaster - On the octachord - Psalm of David1Help, Yahweh! No one loyal is left,
the faithful have vanished from among the children of Adam.
2Friend tells lies to friend,
and, smooth-tongued, speaks from an insincere heart.
3May Yahweh cut away every smooth lip,
every boastful tongue,
4those who say, "In our tongue lies our strength,
our lips are our allies; who can master us?"
5"For the poor who are plundered, the needy who groan,
now will I act," says Yahweh,
"I will grant salvation to those who sigh for it."
6Yahweh's promises are promises unalloyed,
natural silver which comes from the earth seven times refined.
7You, Yahweh, will watch over them,
you will protect them from that brood for ever.
8The wicked will scatter in every direction,
as the height of depravity among the children of Adam.Psalm 13
A confident appeal
For the choirmaster - Psalm of David1How long, Yahweh, will you forget me? For ever?
How long will you turn away your face from me?
2How long must I nurse rebellion in my soul,
sorrow in my heart day and night?
How long is the enemy to domineer over me?
3Look down, answer me, Yahweh my God!
Give light to my eyes or I shall fall into the sleep of death.
4Or my foe will boast, "I have overpowered him,"
and my enemy have the joy of seeing me stumble.
5As for me, I trust in your faithful love, Yahweh.
Let my heart delight in your saving help,
let me sing to Yahweh for his generosity to me,
let me sing to the name of Yahweh the Most High!Psalm 14
Footnote [Almost identical with Ps 53 except that the proper name "Yahweh" here occurs for "God".]The fate of the godless
For the choirmaster - of David1The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
Their deeds are corrupt and vile,
not one of them does right.
2Yahweh looks down from heaven
at the children of Adam.
To see if a single one is wise,
a single one seeks God.
3All have turned away,
all alike turned sour,
not one of them does right,
not a single one.
4Are they not aware, all these evil-doers?
They are devouring my people,
this is the bread they eat,
and they never call to Yahweh.
5They will be gripped with fear,
where there is no need for fear,
for God takes the side of the upright;
6you may mock the plans of the poor,
but Yahweh is their refuge.
7Who will bring from Zion salvation for Israel?
When Yahweh brings his people home,
what joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!Psalm 15
The guest of Yahweh
Psalm of David1Yahweh, who can find a home in your tent,
who can dwell on your holy mountain?
2Whoever lives blamelessly,
who acts uprightly,
who speaks the truth from the heart,
3who keeps the tongue under control,
who does not wrong a comrade,
who casts no discredit on a neighbor,
4who looks with scorn on the vile,
but honors those who fear Yahweh,
who stands by an oath at any cost,
5who asks no interest on loans,
who takes no bribe to harm the innocent.
No one who so acts can ever be shaken.Psalm 16
Yahweh my heritage
In a quiet voice - of David1Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge.
2To Yahweh I say,
"You are my Lord, my happiness is in none
3of the sacred spirits of the earth."
They only take advantage of all who love them.
4People flock to their teeming idols.
Never shall I pour libations to them!
Never take their names on my lips.
5My birthright, my cup is Yahweh;
you, you alone, hold my lot secure.
6The measuring-line marks out for me a delightful place,
my birthright is all I could wish.
7I bless Yahweh who is my counsellor,
even at night my heart instructs me.
8I keep Yahweh before me always,
for with him at my right hand, nothing can shake me.
9So my heart rejoices, my soul delights,
my body too will rest secure,
10for you will not abandon me to Sheol,
you cannot allow your faithful servant to see the abyss.
11You will teach me the path of life,
unbounded joy in your presence,
at your right hand delight forever.Psalm 17
the plea of the innocent
prayer - of david1Listen, Yahweh, to an upright cause,
pay attention to my cry,
lend an ear to my prayer,
my lips free from deceit.
2From your presence will issue my vindication,
your eyes fixed on what is right.
3You probe my heart, examine me at night,
you test me by fire and find no evil.
I have not sinned with my mouth 4as most people do.
I have treasured the word from your lips,
5my steps never stray from the paths you lay down,
from your tracks; so my feet never stumble.
6I call upon you, God, for you answer me;
turn your ear to me, hear what I say.
7Show the evidence of your faithful love,
saviour of those who hope in your strength against attack.
8Guard me as the pupil of an eye,
shelter me in the shadow of your wings
9from the presence of the wicked who would maltreat me;
deadly enemies are closing in on me.
10Engrossed in themselves they are mouthing
arrogant words. 11They are advancing against me, now they are closing in,
watching for the chance to hurl me to the ground,
12like a lion preparing to pounce,
like a young lion crouching in ambush.
13Arise, Yahweh, confront him and bring him down,
with your sword save my life from the wicked,
14Yahweh, from mortals, by your hand, from mortals
whose part in life is in this world.
You fill their bellies from your store,
their children will have all they desire,
and leave their surplus to their children.
15But I in my uprightness will see your face,
and when I awake I shall be filled with the vision of you.Psalm 18
A King's Thanksgiving
For the choirmaster Of David, the servant of Yahweh, who addressed the words of this song to Yahweh when Yahweh had delivered him from all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul. He said:
1I love you, Yahweh, my strength
(my Saviour, you have saved me from violence).
2Yahweh is my rock and my fortress,
my deliverer is my God.
I take refuge in him, my rock,
my shield, my saving strength,
my stronghold, my place of refuge.
3I call to Yahweh who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my foes.
4With Death's breakers closing in on me,
Belial's torrents ready to swallow me,
5Sheol's snares every side of me,
Death's traps lying ahead of me,
6I called to Yahweh in my anguish,
I cried for help to my God;
from his Temple he heard my voice,
my cry came to his ears.
7Then the earth quaked and rocked,
the mountains' foundations shuddered,
they quaked at his blazing anger.
8Smoke rose from his nostrils,
from his mouth devouring fire
(coals were kindled at it).
9He parted the heavens and came down,
a storm-cloud underneath his feet;
10riding one of the winged creatures, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
11His covering he made the darkness,
his pavilion dark waters and dense cloud.
12A brightness lit up before him,
hail and blazing fire.
13Yahweh thundered from the heavens,
the Most High made his voice heard.
14He shot his arrows and scattered them,
he hurled his lightning and routed them.
15The very springs of ocean were exposed,
the world's foundations were laid bare,
at your roaring, Yahweh,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils!
16He reached down from on high, snatched me up,
pulled me from the watery depths,
17rescued me from my mighty foe,
from my enemies who were stronger than I.
18They assailed me on my day of disaster
but Yahweh was there to support me;
19he freed me, set me at large,
he rescued me because he loves me.
20Yahweh rewards me for my uprightness,
as my hands are pure, so he repays me,
21since I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and not fallen away from my God.
22His judgements are all before me,
his statutes I have not put away from me.
23I am blameless before him,
I keep myself clear of evil.
24So Yahweh repaid me for acting uprightly
because he could see I was pure.
25You are faithful to the faithful,
blameless with the blameless,
26sincere to the sincere,
but cunning to the crafty,
27you save a people that is humble
and humiliate those with haughty looks.
28Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp,
my God lights up my darkness;
29with you I storm the rampart,
with my God I can scale any wall.
30This God, his way is blameless;
the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace,
for he alone is the shield
of all who take refuge in him.
31For who is God but Yahweh,
who is a rock but our God?
32This God who girds me with strength,
who makes my way free from blame,
33who makes me as swift as a deer
and sets me firmly on the heights,
34who trains my hands for battle,
my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
35You give me your invincible shield
(your right hand upholds me) you never cease to listen to me,
36you give me the strides of a giant,
give me ankles that never weaken.
37I pursue my enemies and overtake them,
not turning back till they are annihilated;
38I strike them down and they cannot rise,
they fall, they are under my feet.
39You have girded me with strength for the fight,
bent down my assailants beneath me,
40made my enemies retreat before me;
and those who hate me I destroy.
41They cry out, there is no one to save;
to Yahweh, but no answer comes.
42I crumble them like dust before the wind,
trample them like the mud of the streets.
43You free me from the quarrels of my people,
you place me at the head of the nations,
a people I did not know are now my servants;
44foreigners come wooing my favor,
no sooner do they hear than they obey me;
45foreigners grow faint of heart,
they come trembling out of their fastnesses.
46Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47the God who gives me vengeance,
and subjects whole peoples to me,
48who rescues me from my raging enemies.
You lift me high above those who attack me,
you deliver me from the man of violence.
49For this I will praise you, Yahweh, among the nations,
and sing praise to your name.
50He saves his king time after time,
displays his faithful love for his anointed,
for David and his heirs for ever.Psalm 19 (v 18)
Yahweh, sun of saving justice
For the choirmaster Psalm Of David1The heavens declare the glory of God,
the vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork,
2day discourses of it to day,
night to night hands on the knowledge.
3No utterance at all, no speech,
not a sound to be heard,
4but from the entire earth the design stands out,
this message reaches the whole world.
High above, he pitched a tent for the sun,
5who comes forth from his pavilion like a bridegroom,
delights like a champion in the course to be run.
6Rising on the one horizon
he runs his circuit to the other,
and nothing can escape his heat.
7The Law of Yahweh is perfect,
refreshment to the soul;
the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy,
wisdom for the simple.
8The precepts of Yahweh are honest,
joy for the heart;
the commandment of Yahweh is pure,
light for the eyes.
9The fear of Yahweh is pure,
lasting for ever;
the judgements of Yahweh are true,
upright, every one,
10more desirable than gold,
even than the finest gold;
his words are sweeter than honey,
that drips from the comb.
11Thus your servant is formed by them;
observing them brings great reward.
12But who can detect his own failings?
Wash away my hidden faults.
13And from pride preserve your servant,
never let it be my master.
So shall I be above reproach,
free from grave sin.
14May the words of my mouth always find favour,
and the whispering of my heart,
in your presence, Yahweh,
my rock, my redeemer.Psalm 20 (v 19)
Prayer for the King
For the choirmaster Psalm Of David1May Yahweh answer you in time of trouble,
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2May he send you help from the sanctuary,
give you support from Zion!
3May he remember all your sacrifices
and delight in your burnt offerings! Pause
4May he grant you your heart's desire
and crown all your plans with success!
5So that with joy we can hail your victory
and draw up our ranks in the name of our God.
May Yahweh grant all your petitions.
6Now I know that Yahweh
gives victory to his anointed.
He will respond from his holy heavens
with great deeds of victory from his right hand.
7Some call on chariots, some on horses,
but we on the name of Yahweh our God.
8They will crumple and fall,
while we stand upright and firm.
9Yahweh, save the king,
answer us when we call.Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
For the choirmaster - Psalm of David1Yahweh, the king rejoices in your power;
How your saving help fills him with joy!
2You have granted him his heart's desire,
not denied him the prayer of his lips. Pause
3For you come to meet him with blessings of prosperity,
put a crown of pure gold on his head.
4He has asked for life, you have given it him,
length of days for ever and ever.
5Great his glory through your saving help;
you invest him with splendour and majesty.
6You confer on him everlasting blessings,
you gladden him with the joy of your presence.
7For the king puts his trust in Yahweh;
the faithful love of the Most High will keep him from falling.
8Your hand will reach all your enemies,
your right hand all who hate you.
9You will hurl them into a blazing furnace
on the day when you appear;
Yahweh will engulf them in his anger,
and fire will devour them.
10You will purge the earth of their descendants,
the human race of their posterity.
11They have devised evil against you
but, plot as they may, they will not succeed,
12since you will make them turn tail,
by shooting your arrows in their faces.
13Rise, Yahweh, in your power!
We will sing and make music in honor of your strength.Psalm 22 (v21)
The sufferings and hopes of the upright
For the choirmaster - To "the Doe of the Dawn" - Psalm of David1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
The words of my groaning do nothing to save me.
2My God, I call by day but you do not answer,
at night, but I find no respite.
3Yet you, the Holy One,
who make your home in the praises of Israel,
4in you our ancestors put their trust,
they trusted and you set them free.
5To you they called for help and were delivered;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6But I am a worm, less than human,
scorn of mankind, contempt of the people;
7all who see me jeer at me,
they sneer and wag their heads,
8"He trusted himself to Yahweh, let Yahweh set him free!
Let him deliver him, as he took such delight in him."
9It was you who drew me from the womb
and soothed me on my mother's breast.
10On you was I cast from my birth,
from the womb I have belonged to you.
11Do not hold aloof, for trouble is upon me,
and no one to help me!
12Many bulls are encircling me,
wild bulls of Bashan closing in on me.
13Lions ravening and roaring
open their jaws at me.
14My strength is trickling away,
my bones are all disjointed,
my heart has turned to wax,
melting inside me.
15My mouth is dry as earthenware,
my tongue sticks to my jaw.
You lay me down in the dust of death.
16A pack of dogs surrounds me,
a gang of villains closing in on me
as if to hack off my hands and my feet.
17I can count every one of my bones,
while they look on and gloat;
18they divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
19Yahweh, do not hold aloof!
My strength, come quickly to my help,
20rescue my soul from the sword,
the one life I have from the grasp of the dog!
21Save me from the lion's mouth,
my poor life from the wild bulls' horns!
22I shall proclaim your name to my brothers,
praise you in full assembly:
23"You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All the race of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all the race of Israel!"
24For he has not despised
nor disregarded the poverty of the poor,
has not turned away his face,
but has listened to the cry for help.
25Of you is my praise in the thronged assembly,
I will perform my vows before all who fear him.
26The poor will eat and be filled,
those who seek Yahweh will praise him,
"May your heart live for ever."
27The whole wide world will remember and return to Yahweh,
all the families of nations bow down before him.
28For to Yahweh, ruler of the nations, belongs kingly power!
29All who prosper on earth will bow before him,
all who go down to the dust will do reverence before him.
And those who are dead, 30their descendants will serve him,
will proclaim his name to generations 31still to come;
and these will tell of his saving justice to a people yet unborn: he has fulfilled it.Psalm 23 (v 22)
The good Shepherd
Psalm of David1Yahweh is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
2In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me 3to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
as befits his name.
4Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger, for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
5You prepare a table for me
under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
6Kindness and faithful love pursue me
every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.Psalm 24 (v 23)
For a solemn entry into the sanctuary
Psalm of David1To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live there;
2it is he who laid its foundations on the seas,
on the flowing waters fixed it firm.
3Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh?
Who shall take a stand in his holy place?
4The clean of hands and pure of heart,
whose heart is not set on vanities,
who does not swear an oath in order to deceive.
5Such a one will receive blessing from Yahweh,
saving justice from the God of his salvation.
6Such is the people that seeks him,
that seeks your presence, God of Jacob. Pause
7Gates, lift high your heads,
raise high the ancient gateways,
and the king of glory shall enter!
8Who is he, this king of glory?
It is Yahweh, strong and valiant,
Yahweh valiant in battle.
9Gates, lift high your heads,
raise high the ancient gateways,
and the king of glory shall enter!
10Who is he, this king of glory?
Yahweh Sabaoth,
he is the king of glory. PausePsalm 25 (v24)
Prayer in Danger
of David
Aleph
1Adoration I offer, Yahweh,
2to you, my God.
Beth
But in my trust in you do not put me to shame,
let not my enemies gloat over me.Ghimel
3Calling to you, none shall ever be put to shame,
but shame is theirs who groundlessly break faith.
Dalet
4Direct me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.He
5Encourage me to walk in your truth and teach me
since you are the God who saves me.
(Waw)
For my hope is in you all day long
7csuch is your generosity, Yahweh.Zain
6Goodness and faithful love have been yours forever,
Yahweh, do not forget them.Het
7Hold not my youthful sins against me,
but remember me as your faithful love dictates.
Tet
8Integrity and generosity are marks of Yahweh
for he brings sinners back to the path.Yod
9JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble,
instructing the poor in his way.
Kaph
10KINDNESS unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.Lamed
11LET my sin, great though it is, be forgiven, Yahweh,
for the sake of your name.
Mem
12Men who respect Yahweh, what of them?
He teaches them the way they must choose.Nun
13Neighbors to happiness will they live,
and their children inherit the land.Samek
14Only those who fear Yahweh have his secret
and his covenant, for their understanding.
Ain
15PERMANENTLY my eyes are on Yahweh,
for he will free my feet from the snare.Pe
16Quick, turn to me, pity me,
alone and wretched as I am!
Zade
17Relieve the distress of my heart,
bring me out of my constraint.(Qoph)
18Spare a glance for my misery and pain,
take all my sins away.
Resh
19Take note how countless are my enemies,
how violent their hatred for me.Shin
20Unless you guard me and rescue me
I shall be put to shame, for you are my refuge.Taw
21Virtue and integrity be my protection,
for my hope, Yahweh, is in you.22Ransom Israel, O God,
from all its troubles.Psalm 26 (v25)
Prayer for the Blameless
of David1Yahweh, be my judge!
I go on my way in innocence,
my trust in Yahweh never wavers.
2Probe me, Yahweh, examine me,
Test my heart and my mind in the fire.
3For your faithful love is before my eyes,
and I live my life by your truth.
4No sitting with wastrels for me,
no traveling with hypocrites;
5I hate the company of sinners,
I refuse to sit down with the wicked.
6I will wash my hands in innocence
and join the procession round your altar, Yahweh,
7to make heard the sound of thanksgiving,
to proclaim all your wonders.
8Yahweh, I love the beauty of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9Do not couple me with sinners,
nor my life with men of violence,
10whose hands are stained with guilt,
their right hands heavy with bribes.
11In innocence I will go on my way;
ransom me, take pity on me.
12I take my stand on the right path;
I will bless you, Yahweh, in the assemblies.Psalm 27 (v26)
In God's Company there is no fear
of David1Yahweh is my light and my salvation,
whom should I fear?
Yahweh is the fortress of my life,
whom should I dread?
2When the wicked advance against me to eat me up,
they, my opponents, my enemies,
are the ones who stumble and fall.
3Though an army pitch camp against me,
my heart will not fear,
though war break out against me,
my trust will never be shaken.
4One thing I ask of Yahweh,
one thing I seek:
to dwell in Yahweh's house
all the days of my life,
to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh,
to seek out his temple.
5For he hides me away under his roof
on the day of evil,
he folds me in the recesses of his tent,
sets me high on a rock.
6Now my head is held high
above the enemies who surround me;
in his tent I will offer
sacrifices of acclaim.
I will sing, I will make music for Yahweh.
7Yahweh, hear my voice as I cry,
pity me, answer me!
8Of you my heart has said,
"Seek his face!"
Your face, Yahweh, I seek;
9do not turn away from me.
Do not thrust aside your servant in anger,
without you I am helpless.
Never leave me, never forsake me,
God, my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me,
Yahweh will gather me up.
11Yahweh, teach me your way,
lead me on the path of integrity
because of my enemies;
12do not abandon me to the will of my foes --
false witnesses have risen against me,
and are breathing out violence.
13This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh,
in the land of the living.
14Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong, let your heart be bold,
put your hope in Yahweh.Psalm 28 (v27)
Petition and thanksgiving
of David1To you, Yahweh, I cry,
my rock, do not be deaf to me!
If you stay silent
I shall be like those who sink into oblivion.
2Hear the sound of my prayer
when I call upon you,
when I raise my hands, Yahweh,
towards your Holy of Holies.
3Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with evil-doers,
who talk to their partners of peace
with treachery in their hearts.
4Repay them as their deeds deserve,
as befits their treacherous actions;
as befits their handiwork repay them,
let their deserts fall back on themselves.
5They do not comprehend the deeds of Yahweh,
the work of his hands.
May he pull them down and not rebuild them!
6Blessed be Yahweh for he hears
the sound of my prayer.
7Yahweh is my strength and my shield,
in him my heart trusts.
I have been helped; my body has recovered its vigour,
with all my heart I thank him.
8Yahweh is the strength of his people,
a safe refuge for his anointed.
9Save your people, bless your heritage,
shepherd them and carry them for ever!Psalm 29 (v28)
A hymn to the Lord of the storm
of David1Give Yahweh his due, sons of God,
give Yahweh his due of glory and strength,
2give Yahweh the glory due to his name,
adore Yahweh in the splendour of holiness.
3Yahweh's voice over the waters,
the God of glory thunders;
Yahweh over countless waters,
4Yahweh's voice in power,
Yahweh's voice in splendour;
5Yahweh's voice shatters cedars,
Yahweh shatters cedars of Lebanon,
6he makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7Yahweh's voice carves out lightning-shafts,
8Yahweh's voice convulses the desert,
Yahweh convulses the desert of Kadesh,
9Yahweh's voice convulses terebinths,
strips forests bare.
In his palace all cry, "Glory!"
10Yahweh was enthroned for the flood,
Yahweh is enthroned as king for ever.
11Yahweh will give strength to his people,
Yahweh blesses his people with peace.Psalm 30 (v29)
Thanksgiving after mortal danger
Psalm Canticle for the Dedication of the House Of David1I praise you to the heights, Yahweh, for you have raised me up,
you have not let my foes make merry over me.
2Yahweh, my God, I cried to you for help and you healed me.
3Yahweh, you have lifted me out of Sheol,
from among those who sink into oblivion you have given me life.
4Make music for Yahweh, all you who are faithful to him,
praise his unforgettable holiness.
5His anger lasts but a moment, his favour through life;
In the evening come tears, but with dawn cries of joy.
6Carefree, I used to think,
"Nothing can ever shake me!"
7Your favour, Yahweh, set me on impregnable heights,
but you turned away your face and I was terrified.
8To you, Yahweh, I call,
to my God I cry for mercy.
9What point is there in my death, my going down to the abyss?
Can the dust praise you or proclaim your faithfulness?
10Listen, Yahweh, take pity on me,
Yahweh, be my help!
11You have turned my mourning into dancing,
you have stripped off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
12So my heart will sing to you unceasingly,
Yahweh, my God, I shall praise you forever.Psalm 31 (v30)
Prayer in time of ordeal
For the choirmaster Psalm Of David1In you, Yahweh, I have taken refuge, let me never be put to shame, in your saving justice deliver me, rescue me, 2turn your ear to me, make haste. Be for me a rock*fastness, a fortified citadel to save me. 3You are my rock, my rampart; true to your name, lead me and guide me! 4Draw me out of the net they have spread for me, for you are my refuge; 5to your hands I commit my spirit, by you have I been redeemed. God of truth, 6you hate those who serve useless idols; but my trust is in Yahweh: 7I will delight and rejoice in your faithful love! You, who have seen my misery, and witnessed the miseries of my soul, 8have not handed me over to the enemy, but have given me freedom to roam at large. 9Take pity on me, Yahweh, for I am in trouble. Vexation is gnawing away my eyes, my soul deep within me. 10For my life is worn out with sorrow, and my years with sighs. My strength gives way under my misery, and my bones are all wasted away. 11The sheer number of my enemies makes me contemptible, loathsome to my neighbours, and my friends shrink from me in horror. When people see me in the street they take to their heels. 12I have no more place in their hearts than a corpse, or something lost. 13All I hear is slander*terror wherever I turn*as they plot together against me, scheming to take my life. 14But my trust is in you, Yahweh; I say, *You are my God,* 15every moment of my life is in your hands, rescue me from the clutches of my foes who pursue me; 16let your face shine on your servant, save me in your faithful love. 17I call on you, Yahweh, so let disgrace fall not on me, but on the wicked. Let them go down to Sheol in silence, 18muzzles on their lying mouths, which speak arrogantly against the upright in pride and contempt. 19Yahweh, what quantities of good things you have in store for those who fear you, and bestow on those who make you their refuge, for all humanity to see. 20Safe in your presence you hide them, far from human plotting, shielding them in your tent, far from contentious tongues. 21Blessed be Yahweh who works for me miracles of his faithful love (in a fortified city)! 22In a state of terror I cried, *I have been cut off from your sight!* Yet you heard my plea for help when I cried out to you. 23Love Yahweh, all his faithful: Yahweh protects his loyal servants, but he repays the arrogant with interest. 24Be brave, take heart, all who put your hope in Yahweh. Psalm 32 (v31)
Candid Admission of Sin
of David Poem1How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin blotted out. 2How blessed are those to whom Yahweh imputes no guilt, whose spirit harbours no deceit. 3I said not a word, but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day; 4day and night your hand lay heavy upon me; my heart grew parched as stubble in summer drought.Pause 5I made my sin known to you, did not conceal my guilt. I said, *I shall confess my offence to Yahweh.* And you, for your part, took away my guilt, forgave my sin.Pause 6That is why each of your faithful ones prays to you in time of distress. Even if great floods overflow, they will never reach your faithful. 7You are a refuge for me, you guard me in trouble, with songs of deliverance you surround me.Pause 8I shall instruct you and teach you the way to go; I shall not take my eyes off you. 9Be not like a horse or a mule; that does not understand bridle or bit; if you advance to master them, there is no means of bringing them near. 10Countless troubles are in store for the wicked, but one who trusts in Yahweh is enfolded in his faithful love. 11Rejoice in Yahweh, exult all you upright, shout for joy, you honest of heart. 1Shout for joy, you upright; praise comes well from the honest. 2Give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre, play for him on the ten*stringed lyre. 3Sing to him a new song, make sweet music for your cry of victory. 4The word of Yahweh is straightforward, all he does springs from his constancy. 5He loves uprightness and justice; the faithful love of Yahweh fills the earth. 6By the word of Yahweh the heavens were made, by the breath of his mouth all their array. 7He collects the waters of the sea like a dam, he stores away the abyss in his treasure*house. 8Let the whole earth fear Yahweh, let all who dwell in the world revere him; 9for, the moment he spoke, it was so, no sooner had he commanded, than there it stood! 10Yahweh thwarts the plans of nations, frustrates the counsels of peoples; 11but Yahweh*s own plan stands firm for ever, his heart*s counsel from age to age. 12How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people he has chosen as his heritage. 13From heaven Yahweh looks down, he sees all the children of Adam, 14from the place where he sits he watches all who dwell on the earth; 15he alone moulds their hearts, he understands all they do. 16A large army will not keep a king safe, nor his strength save a warrior*s life; 17it is delusion to rely on a horse for safety, for all its power it cannot save. 18But see how Yahweh watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his faithful love, 19to rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield, 21for in him our heart rejoices, in his holy name we trust. 22Yahweh, let your faithful love rest on us, as our hope has rested in you.PSALM 33 (V 32)
Hymn to Providence
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 34 (V 33) In praise of God*s justice Of David, when he had feigned insanity before Abimelech, and Abimelech sent him away
Aleph
1I will bless Yahweh at all times, his praise continually on my lips.Bet
2I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.Gimel
3Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.Dalet
4I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.He
5Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.Zain
6A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.Het
7The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.Tet
8Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.Yod
9Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for nothing.Kaph
10Young lions may go needy and hungry, but those who seek Yahweh lack nothing good.Lamed
11Come, my children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.Mem
12Who among you delights in life, longs for time to enjoy prosperity?Nun
13Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from any breath of deceit.Samek
14Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.Ain
15The eyes of Yahweh are on the upright, his ear turned to their cry.Pe
16But Yahweh*s face is set against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.Zade
17They cry in anguish and Yahweh hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.Qoph
18Yahweh is near to the broken*hearted, he helps those whose spirit is crushed.Resh
19Though hardships without number beset the upright, Yahweh brings rescue from them all.Shin
20Yahweh takes care of all their bones, not one of them will be broken.Taw
21But to the wicked evil brings death, those who hate the upright will pay the penalty. 22Yahweh ransoms the lives of those who serve him, and there will be no penalty for those who take refuge in him.Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 35 (V 34) Prayer of the virtuous in persecution Of David1Accuse my accusers, Yahweh, attack my attackers. 2Grasp your buckler and shield, up, and help me. 3Brandish spear and pike to confront my pursuers, give me the assurance, "I am your Savior." 4Shame and humiliation on those who are out to kill me! Defeat and repulse in dismay on those who plot my downfall. 5May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of Yahweh to chase them. 6May their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of Yahweh to hound them. 7Unprovoked they laid their snare for me, unprovoked dug a trap to kill me. 8Ruin comes upon them unawares; the snare they have laid will catch them, and into their own trap they will fall. 9Then I shall delight in Yahweh, rejoice that he has saved me. 10My very bones will all exclaim, Yahweh, who can compare with you in rescuing the poor from the oppressor; the needy from the exploiter? 11False witnesses come forward against me asking me questions I cannot answer, they cross-examine me, 12repay my kindness with cruelty, make my life barren. 13But I, when they were ill, had worn sackcloth, and mortified myself with fasting, praying ever anew in my heart, 14as if for a friend or brother; I had wandered restless, as if mourning a mother, so bowed had I been in sorrow. 15When I stumble they gather in glee, gather around me; strangers I never even knew tear me apart incessantly. 16If I fall they surround me, grinding their teeth at me. 17How much longer, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their onslaughts, from young lions rescue the one life that I have. 18I will give you thanks in the great assembly praise you where the people gather. 19Let not my lying enemies gloat over me; those who hate me unprovoked look askance at me. 20They have no greeting of peace to the peace*loving people of the land; they think up deceptive speeches. 21Their mouths wide open to accuse me, they say, *Come on now, we saw you.* 22You saw it, Yahweh, do not stay silent; Lord, do not stand aloof from me. 23Up, awake, to my defence, my God and my Lord, to my cause. 24In your saving justice give judgement for me, Yahweh my God, and do not let them gloat over me. 25Do not let them think, "Just as we hoped," nor, "Now we have swallowed him up." 26Shame and dismay on them all who gloat over my misfortunes. Let all who profit at my expense be covered with shame and disgrace. 27But let all who delight in my uprightness shout for joy and gladness; let them constantly say, "Great is Yahweh, who delights to see his servant in peace." 28And my tongue shall recount your saving justice, all day long sing your praise.
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 36 FACE="Times New Roman" *[The two parts of the Ps in different rhythms may have existed separately] (V 35) The perversity of sinners and the benevolence of God For the choirmaster Of the servant of Yahweh Of David1Sin is the oracle of the wicked in the depths of his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2He sees himself with too flattering an eye to detect and detest his guilt; 3all he says is malicious and deceitful, he has turned his back on wisdom. To get his way 4he hatches malicious plots even in his bed; once set on his evil course no wickedness is too much for him. 5Yahweh, your faithful love is in the heavens, your constancy reaches to the clouds, 6your saving justice is like towering mountains, your judgements like the mighty deep. Yahweh, you support both man and beast; 7how precious, God, is your faithful love. So the children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8They feast on the bounty of your house, you let them drink from your delicious streams; 9in you is the source of life, by your light we see the light. 10Maintain your faithful love to those who acknowledge you, and your saving justice to the honest of heart. 11Do not let the foot of the arrogant overtake me or wicked hands drive me away. 12There they have fallen, the evil*doers, flung down, never to rise again.
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 37 (V 36) The fate of the upright and the wicked Of David
Aleph
1Do not get heated about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. 2Quick as the grass they wither, fading like the green of the fields.Bet
3Put your trust in Yahweh and do right, make your home in the land and live secure. 4Make Yahweh your joy and he will give you your heart*s desires.Gimel
5Commit your destiny to Yahweh, be confident in him, and he will act, 6making your uprightness clear as daylight, and the justice of your cause as the noon.Dalet
7Stay quiet before Yahweh, wait longingly for him, do not get heated over someone who is making a fortune, succeeding by devious means.He
8Refrain from anger, leave rage aside, do not get heated*it can do no good; 9for evil*doers will be annihilated, while those who hope in Yahweh shall have the land for their own.Waw
10A little while and the wicked will be no more, however well you search for the place, the wicked will not be there; 11but the poor will have the land for their own, to enjoy untroubled peace.Zain
12The wicked plots against the upright and gnashes his teeth at him, 13but Yahweh only laughs at his efforts, knowing that his end is in sight.Het
14Though the wicked draw his sword and bend his bow to slaughter the honest and bring down the poor and the needy, 15his sword will pierce his own heart, and his bow will be shattered.Tet
16What little the upright possesses outweighs all the wealth of the wicked; 17for the weapons of the wicked shall be shattered, while Yahweh supports the upright.Yod
18The lives of the just are in Yahweh*s care, their birthright will endure for ever; 19they will not be put to shame when bad times come, in time of famine they will have plenty.Kaph
20The wicked, enemies of Yahweh, will be destroyed, they will vanish like the green of the pasture, they will vanish in smoke.Lamed
21The wicked borrows and will not repay, but the upright is generous in giving; 22those he blesses will have the land for their own, and those he curses be annihilated.Mem
23Yahweh guides a strong man*s steps and keeps them firm; and takes pleasure in him. 24When he trips he is not thrown sprawling, since Yahweh supports him by the hand.Nun
25Now I am old, but ever since my youth I never saw an upright person abandoned, or the descendants of the upright forced to beg their bread. 26The upright is always compassionate, always lending, so his descendants reap a blessing.Samek
27Turn your back on evil and do good, you will have a home for ever, 28for Yahweh loves justice and will not forsake his faithful.Ain
Evil*doers will perish eternally, the descendants of the wicked be annihilated, 29but the upright shall have the land for their own, there they shall live for ever.Pe
30Wisdom comes from the lips of the upright, and his tongue speaks what is right; 31the law of his God is in his heart, his foot will never slip.Zade
32The wicked keeps a close eye on the upright, looking out for a chance to kill him; 33Yahweh will never abandon him to the clutches of the wicked, nor let him be condemned if he is tried.Qoph
34Put your hope in Yahweh, keep to his path, he will raise you up to make the land your own; you will look on while the wicked are annihilated.Resh
35I have seen the wicked exultant, towering like a cedar of Lebanon. 36When next I passed he was gone, I searched for him and he was nowhere to be found.Shin
37Observe the innocent, consider the honest, for the lover of peace will not lack children. 38But the wicked will all be destroyed together, and their children annihilated.Taw
39The upright have Yahweh for their Saviour, their refuge in times of trouble; 40Yahweh helps them and rescues them, he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 38 (V 37) Prayer in distress Psalm Of David In commemoration1Yahweh, do not correct me in anger, do not discipline me in wrath. 2For your arrows have pierced deep into me, your hand has pressed down upon me. 3Your indignation has left no part of me unscathed, my sin has left no health in my bones. 4My sins stand higher than my head, they weigh on me as an unbearable weight. 5I have stinking, festering wounds, thanks to my folly. 6I am twisted and bent double, I spend my days in gloom. 7My loins burn with fever, no part of me is unscathed. 8Numbed and utterly crushed I groan in distress of heart. 9Lord, all my longing is known to you, my sighing no secret from you, 10my heart is throbbing, my strength has failed, the light has gone out of my eyes. 11Friends and companions shun my disease, even the dearest of them keep their distance. 12Those with designs on my life lay snares, those who wish me ill speak of violence and hatch treachery all day long. 13But I hear nothing, as though I were deaf, as though dumb, saying not a word. 14I am like the one who, hearing nothing, has no sharp answer to make. 15For in you, Yahweh, I put my hope, you, Lord my God, will give answer. 16I said, *Never let them gloat over me, do not let them take advantage of me if my foot slips.* 17There is no escape for me from falling, no relief from my misery. 18But I make no secret of my guilt, I am anxious at the thought of my sin. 19There is no numbering those who oppose me without cause, no counting those who hate me unprovoked, 20repaying me evil for good, slandering me for trying to do them good. 21Yahweh, do not desert me, my God, do not stand aloof from me. 22Come quickly to my help, Lord, my Saviour!
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 39 (V 38) Insignificance of human beings before God For the choirmaster For Jeduthun Psalm Of David1I said, "I will watch how I behave so that I do not sin by my tongue. I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as any sinner is near." 2I stayed dumb, silent, speechless, but the sinner*s prosperity redoubled my torment. 3My heart had been smouldering within me, but at the thought of this it flared up and the words came bursting out, 4*Yahweh, let me know my fate, how much longer I have to live. Show me just how frail I am. 5*Look, you have given me but a hand*s breadth or two of life, the length of my life is as nothing to you. Every human being that stands on earth is a mere puff of wind, 6every human being that walks only a shadow; a mere puff of wind is the wealth stored away*no knowing who will profit from it.* 7So now, Lord, what am I to hope for? My hope is in you. 8Save me from all my sins, do not make me the butt of fools. 9I keep silence, I speak no more since you yourself have been at work. 10Take your scourge away from me. I am worn out by the blows you deal me. 11You correct human beings by punishing sin, like a moth you eat away all their desires*a human being is a mere puff of wind. 12Yahweh, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for help, do not remain deaf to my weeping. For I am a stranger in your house, a nomad like all my ancestors. 13Turn away your gaze that I may breathe freely before I depart and am no more!
Psalm 21 (v20)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 40 (V 39) Song of praise and prayer for help For the choirmaster Of David Psalm1I waited, I waited for Yahweh, then he stooped to me and heard my cry for help.
2He pulled me up from the seething chasm, from the mud of the mire. He set my feet on rock, and made my footsteps firm. 3He put a fresh song in my mouth, praise of our God. Many will be awestruck at the sight, and will put their trust in Yahweh. 4How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh, who have not sided with rebels and those who have gone astray in falsehood. 5How much you have done, Yahweh, my God*your wonders, your plans for us*you have no equal. I will proclaim and speak of them; they are beyond number. 6You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but you gave me an open ear, you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin; 7then I said, *Here I am, I am coming.* In the scroll of the book it is written of me, 8my delight is to do your will; your law, my God, is deep in my heart. 9I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great assembly. See, I will not hold my tongue, as you well know. 10I have not kept your saving justice locked in the depths of my heart, but have spoken of your constancy and saving help. I have made no secret of your faithful and steadfast love, in the great assembly. 11You, Yahweh, have not withheld your tenderness from me; your faithful and steadfast love will always guard me. 12For troubles surround me, until they are beyond number; my sins have overtaken me; I cannot see my way. They outnumber the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me. 13Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me, * [ vv. 13 *17 recur in Ps 70.] Yahweh, come quickly and help me! 14Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life. Back with them, let them be humiliated who delight in my misfortunes. 15Let them be aghast with shame, those who say to me, *Aha, aha!* 16But joy and happiness in you to all who seek you! Let them ceaselessly cry, *Great is Yahweh* who love your saving power. 17Poor and needy as I am, the Lord has me in mind. You, my helper, my Saviour, my God, do not delay.
Psalm 41 (v40)
For a coronation ceremony
PSALM 41 (V 40) Prayer of a sufferer deserted For the choirmaster Psalm Of David1Blessed is anyone who cares for the poor and the weak; in time of trouble Yahweh rescues him. 2Yahweh protects him, gives him life and happiness on earth. Do not abandon him to his enemies* pleasure! 3Yahweh sustains him on his bed of sickness; you transform altogether the bed where he lies sick. 4For my part I said, *Yahweh, take pity on me! Cure me for I have sinned against you.* 5My enemies speak to me only of disaster, *When will he die and his name disappear?* 6When people come to see me their talk is hollow, when they get out they spread the news with spite in their hearts. 7All who hate me whisper together about me and reckon I deserve the misery I suffer. 8*A fatal sickness has a grip on him; now that he is down, he will never get up again.* 9Even my trusted friend on whom I relied, who shared my table, takes advantage of me. 10But you, Yahweh, take pity on me! Put me on my feet and I will give them their due. 11This will convince me that you delight in me, if my enemy no longer exults over me. 12Then you will keep me unscathed, and set me in your presence for ever. 13Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from eternity to eternity. Amen, Amen. * [ A doxology closes each book of the Psalter: Pss 72, 89, 106, 150.]
PSALMS 42*43 (V 41*42) Lament of a Levite in exile For the choirmaster Poem Of the sons of Korah1As a deer yearns for running streams, so I yearn for you, my God. 2I thirst for God, the living God; when shall I go to see the face of God? 3I have no food but tears day and night, as all day long I am taunted, *Where is your God?* 4This I remember as I pour out my heart, how I used to pass under the roof of the Most High used to go to the house of God, among cries of joy and praise, the sound of the feast. 5Why be so downcast, why all these sighs? Hope in God! I will praise him still, my Saviour, 6my God. When I am downcast I think of you: from the land of Jordan and Hermon, I think of you, humble mountain. 7Deep is calling to deep by the roar of your cataracts, all your waves and breakers have rolled over me. 8In the daytime God sends his faithful love, and even at night; the song it inspires in me is a prayer to my living God. 9I shall say to God, my rock, *Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go around in mourning, harrassed by the enemy?* 10With death in my bones, my enemies taunt me, all day long they ask me, *Where is your God?* 11Why so downcast, why all these sighs? Hope in God! I will praise him still, my Saviour, my God.
43 1Judge me, God, defend my cause against a people who have no faithful love; from those who are treacherous and unjust, rescue me. 2For you are the God of my strength; why abandon me? Why must I go around in mourning, harrassed by the enemy? 3Send out your light and your truth; they shall be my guide, to lead me to your holy mountain to the place where you dwell. 4Then I shall go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy. I will rejoice and praise you on the harp, O God, my God. 5Why so downcast, why all these sighs? Hope in God! I will praise him still, my Saviour, my God.PSALM 44 (V 43) National lament For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Poem1God, we have heard for ourselves, our ancestors have told us, of the deeds you did in their days, in days of old, 2by your hand. To establish them in the land you drove out nations, to make room for them you harried peoples. 3It was not their own sword that won the land, nor their own arms which made them victorious, but your hand it was and your arm, and the light of your presence, for you loved them. 4You are my king, my God, who decreed Jacob*s victories; 5through you we conquered our opponents, in your name we trampled down those who rose up against us. 6For my trust was not in my bow, my victory was not won by my sword; 7it was you who saved us from our opponents, you who put to shame those who hate us. 8Our boast was always of God, we praised your name without ceasing.Pause 9Yet now you have abandoned and humiliated us, you no longer take the field with our armies, 10you leave us to fall back before the enemy, those who hate us plunder us at will. 11You hand us over like sheep for slaughter, you scatter us among the nations, 12you sell your people for a trifle and make no profit on the sale. 13You make us the butt of our neighbours, the mockery and scorn of those around us, 14you make us a by*word among nations, other peoples shake their heads over us. 15All day long I brood on my disgrace, the shame written clear on my face, 16from the sound of insult and abuse, from the sight of hatred and vengefulness. 17All this has befallen us though we had not forgotten you, nor been disloyal to your covenant, 18our hearts never turning away, our feet never straying from your path. 19Yet you have crushed us in the place where jackals live, and immersed us in shadow dark as death. 20Had we forgotten the name of our God and stretched out our hands to a foreign god, 21would not God have found this out, for he knows the secrets of the heart? 22For your sake we are being massacred all day long, treated as sheep to be slaughtered. 23Wake, Lord! Why are you asleep? Awake! Do not abandon us for good. 24Why do you turn your face away, forgetting that we are poor and harrassed? 25For we are bowed down to the dust, and lie prone on the ground. 26Arise! Come to our help! Ransom us, as your faithful love demands.
PSALM 45 (V 44) Royal wedding song For the choirmaster Tune: *Lilies . . .* Of the sons of Korah Poem Love song1My heart is stirred by a noble theme, I address my poem to the king, my tongue the pen of an expert scribe. 2Of all men you are the most handsome, gracefulness is a dew upon your lips, for God has blessed you for ever. 3Warrior, strap your sword at your side, in your majesty and splendour advance, 4ride on in the cause of truth, gentleness and uprightness. Stretch the bowstring tight, lending terror to your right hand. 5Your arrows are sharp, nations lie at your mercy, the king*s enemies lose heart. 6Your throne is from God, for ever and ever, the sceptre of your kingship a sceptre of justice, 7you love uprightness and detest evil. This is why God, your God, has anointed you with oil of gladness, as none of your rivals, 8your robes all myrrh and aloes. From palaces of ivory, harps bring you joy, 9in your retinue are daughters of kings, the consort at your right hand in gold of Ophir. 10Listen, my daughter, attend to my words and hear; forget your own nation and your ancestral home, 11then the king will fall in love with your beauty; he is your lord, bow down before him. 12The daughter of Tyre will court your favour with gifts, and the richest of peoples 13with jewels set in gold. Clothed 14in brocade, the king*s daughter is led within to the king with the maidens of her retinue; her companions are brought to her, 15they enter the king*s palace with joy and rejoicing. 16Instead of your ancestors you will have sons; you will make them rulers over the whole world. 17I will make your name endure from generation to generation, so nations will sing your praise for ever and ever.
PSALM 46 (V 45) God is with us For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah For oboe Song1God is both refuge and strength for us, a help always ready in trouble; 2so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil, though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 3and its waters roar and seethe, and the mountains totter as it heaves. (Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.)Pause 4There is a river whose streams bring joy to God*s city, it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High. 5God is in the city, it cannot fall; at break of day God comes to its rescue. 6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are tumbling, when he raises his voice the earth crumbles away. 7Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob. Pause 8Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh, the astounding deeds he has done on the earth; 9he puts an end to wars over the whole wide world, he breaks the bow, he snaps the spear, shields he burns in the fire. 10*Be still and acknowledge that I am God, supreme over nations, supreme over the world.* 11Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.Pause
PSALM 47 (V 46) Yahweh king of Israel, king of the world For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm1Clap your hands, all peoples, acclaim God with shouts of joy. 2For Yahweh, the Most High, is glorious, the great king over all the earth. 3He brings peoples under our yoke and nations under our feet. 4He chooses for us our birthright, the pride of Jacob whom he loves.Pause 5God goes up to shouts of acclaim, Yahweh to a fanfare on the ram*s horn. 6Let the music sound for our God, let it sound, let the music sound for our king, let it sound. 7For he is king of the whole world; learn the music, let it sound for God! 8God reigns over the nations, seated on his holy throne. 9The leaders of the nations rally to the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God, who is exalted on high.
PSALM 48 (V 47) Zion, the mountain of God Song Psalm Of the sons of Korah1Great is Yahweh and most worthy of praise in the city of our God, the holy mountain, 2towering in beauty, the joy of the whole world: Mount Zion in the heart of the north, the settlement of the great king; 3God himself among its palaces has proved himself its bulwark. 4For look, kings made alliance, together they advanced; 5without a second glance, when they saw, they panicked and fled away. 6Trembling seized them on the spot, pains like those of a woman in labour; 7it was the east wind, that wrecker of ships from Tarshish. 8What we had heard we saw for ourselves in the city of our God, in the city of Yahweh Sabaoth, which God has established for ever.Pause 9We reflect on your faithful love, God, in your temple! 10Both your name and your praise, God, are over the whole wide world. Your right hand is full of saving justice, 11Mount Zion rejoices, the daughters of Judah delight because of your saving justice. 12Go round Zion, walk right through her, count her bastions, 13admire her walls, examine her palaces, to tell future generations 14that such is God; our God for ever and ever, he is our guide!
Psalm 49
The futility of wealth For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm1Hear this, all nations, listen, all who dwell on earth, 2people high and low, rich and poor alike! 3My lips have wisdom to utter, my heart good sense to whisper. 4I listen carefully to a proverb, I set my riddle to the music of the harp. 5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble? Malice dogs me and hems me in. 6They trust in their wealth, and boast of the profusion of their riches. 7But no one can ever redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God, 8the price for himself is too high; it can never be 9that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss. 10For he will see the wise also die no less than the fool and the brute, and leave their wealth behind for others. 11For ever no home but their tombs, their dwelling*place age after age, though they gave their name to whole territories. 12In prosperity people lose their good sense, they become no better than dumb animals. 13So they go on in their self*assurance, right up to the end they are content with their lot.Pause 14They are penned in Sheol like sheep, Death will lead them to pasture, and those who are honest will rule over them. In the morning all trace of them will be gone, Sheol will be their home. 15But my soul God will ransom from the clutches of Sheol, and will snatch me up.Pause 16Do not be overawed when someone gets rich, and lives in ever greater splendour; 17when he dies he will take nothing with him, his wealth will not go down with him. 18Though he pampered himself while he lived*and people praise you for looking after yourself* 19he will go to join the ranks of his ancestors, who will never again see the light. 20In prosperity people lose their good sense, they become no better than dumb animals.
PSALM 50 (V 49) Worship in spirit and truth Psalm Of Asaph1The God of gods, Yahweh, is speaking, from east to west he summons the earth. 2From Zion, perfection of beauty, he shines forth; 3he is coming, our God, and will not be silent. Devouring fire ahead of him, raging tempest around him, 4he summons the heavens from on high, and the earth to judge his people. 5*Gather to me my faithful, who sealed my covenant by sacrifice.* 6The heavens proclaim his saving justice, *God himself is judge.*Pause 7*Listen, my people, I am speaking, Israel, I am giving evidence against you, I, God, your God. 8*It is not with your sacrifices that I find fault, those burnt offerings constantly before me; 9I will not accept any bull from your homes, nor a single goat from your folds. 10*For all forest creatures are mine already, the animals on the mountains in their thousands. 11I know every bird in the air, whatever moves in the fields is mine. 12*If I am hungry I shall not tell you, since the world and all it holds is mine. 13Am I to eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14*Let thanksgiving be your sacrifice to God, fulfil the vows you make to the Most High; 15then if you call to me in time of trouble I will rescue you and you will honour me.* 16But to the wicked, God says: *What right have you to recite my statutes, to take my covenant on your lips, 17when you detest my teaching, and thrust my words behind you? 18*You make friends with a thief as soon as you see one, you feel at home with adulterers, 19your conversation is devoted to wickedness, and your tongue to inventing lies. 20*You sit there, slandering your own brother, you malign your own mother*s son. 21You do this, and am I to say nothing? Do you think that I am really like you? I charge you, indict you to your face. 22*Think it out, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart without hope of a rescuer. 23Honour to me is a sacrifice of thanksgiving; to the upright I will show God*s salvation.*
PSALM 51 (V 50) A prayer of contrition For the choirmaster Of David When the prophet Nathan had come to him because he had gone to Bathsheba1Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love, in your great tenderness wipe away my offences; 2wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin. 3For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind. 4Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement, 5remember, I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception. 6But you delight in sincerity of heart, and in secret you teach me wisdom. 7Purify me with hyssop till I am clean, wash me till I am whiter than snow. 8Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, and the bones you have crushed will dance. 9Turn away your face from my sins, and wipe away all my guilt. 10God, create in me a clean heart, renew within me a resolute spirit, 11do not thrust me away from your presence, do not take away from me your spirit of holiness. 12Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit. 13I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you. 14Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice. 15Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise. 16Sacrifice gives you no pleasure, burnt offering you do not desire. 17Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken, contrite heart you never scorn. 18In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,*burnt offerings and whole oblations*and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
PSALM 52 (V 51) The fate of cynics For the choirmaster Poem Of David When Doeg the Edomite went and warned Saul, *David has gone to Abimelech*s house*1Why take pride in being wicked, you champion in villainy, all day long 2plotting crime? Your tongue is razor*sharp, you artist in perfidy. 3You prefer evil to good, lying to uprightness. Pause 4You revel in destructive talk, treacherous tongue! 5That is why God will crush you, destroy you once and for all, snatch you from your tent, uproot you from the land of the living.Pause 6The upright will be awestruck as they see it, they will mock him, 7*So much for someone who would not place his reliance in God, but relied on his own great wealth, and made himself strong by crime.* 8But I, like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God, put my trust in God*s faithful love, for ever and ever. 9I shall praise you for ever for what you have done,
and shall trust in your name, so full of goodness, in the presence of your faithful.
PSALM 53 * [ Almost identical with Ps 14 except that the name *Yahweh* is not used.] (V 52) The fate of the godless For the choirmaster In sickness Poem Of David1The fool has said in his heart, *There is no God!* They are corrupt, vile and unjust, not one of them does right. 2God looks down from heaven at the children of Adam, to see if a single one is wise, a single one seeks God. 3All have proved faithless, all alike turned sour, not one of them does right, not a single one. 4Are they not aware, these evil*doers? They are devouring my people; this is the bread they eat, and they never call upon God. 5They will be gripped with fear, just where there is no need for fear, for God scatters the bones of him who besieges you; they are mocked because God rejects them. 6Who will bring from Zion salvation for Israel? When God brings his people home, what joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!
PSALM 54 (V 53) Appeal to God, the just judge For the choirmaster On stringed instruments Poem Of David When the Ziphites went to Saul and said,*Is not David hiding with us?*1God, save me by your name, in your power vindicate me. 2God, hear my prayer, listen to the words I speak. 3Arrogant men are attacking me, bullies hounding me to death, no room in their thoughts for God.Pause 4But now God is coming to my help, the Lord, among those who sustain me. 5May their wickedness recoil on those who lie in wait for me. Yahweh, in your constancy destroy them. 6How gladly will I offer you sacrifice, and praise your name, for it is good, 7for it has rescued me from all my troubles, and my eye has feasted on my enemies.
PSALM 55 (V 54) Prayer when slandered For the choirmaster For strings Poem Of David1God, hear my prayer, do not hide away from my plea, 2give me a hearing, answer me, my troubles give me no peace. I shudder 3at the enemy*s shouts, at the outcry of the wicked; they heap up charges against me, in their anger bring hostile accusations against me. 4My heart writhes within me, the terrors of death come upon me, 5fear and trembling overwhelm me, and shuddering grips me. 6And I say, *Who will give me wings like a dove, to fly away and find rest?* 7How far I would escape, and make a nest in the desert!Pause 8I would soon find a refuge from the storm of abuse, from the 9destructive tempest, Lord, from the flood of their tongues. For I see violence and strife in the city, 10day and night they make their rounds along the city walls, Inside live malice and mischief, 11inside lives destruction, tyranny and treachery never absent from its central square. 12Were it an enemy who insulted me, that I could bear; if an opponent pitted himself against me, I could turn away from him. 13But you, a person of my own rank, a comrade and dear friend, 14to whom I was bound by intimate friendship in the house of God! May they recoil in disorder, 15may death descend on them, may they go down alive to Sheol, since evil shares their home with them. 16For my part, I appeal to God, and Yahweh saves me; 17evening, morning, noon, I complain and I groan. He hears my cry, 18he ransoms me and gives me peace from the feud against me, for they are taking me to law. 19But God will listen and will humble them, he who has been enthroned from the beginning; no change of heart for them, for they do not fear God. 20They attack those at peace with them, going back on their oaths; 21though their mouth is smoother than butter, enmity is in their hearts; their words more soothing than oil, yet sharpened like swords. 22Unload your burden onto Yahweh and he will sustain you; never will he allow the upright to stumble. 23You, God, will thrust them down to the abyss of destruction, men bloodthirsty and deceptive, before half their days are spent. For my