Psalm 132

A song of ascents.
 ¹ O LORD, remember David
   and all the hardships he endured.
 ² He swore an oath to the LORD
   and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “I will not enter my house
   or go to my bed—
⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
   no slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place for the LORD,
   a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
 ⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,
   we came upon it in the fields of Jaar^[a]:^[b]
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
   let us worship at his footstool—
⁸ arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
   you and the ark of your might.
⁹ May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
   may your saints sing for joy.”
 ¹⁰ For the sake of David your servant,
   do not reject your anointed one.
 ¹¹ The LORD swore an oath to David,
   a sure oath that he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
   I will place on your throne—
¹² if your sons keep my covenant
   and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
   on your throne for ever and ever.”
 ¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion,
   he has desired it for his dwelling:
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
   here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it—
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
   her poor will I satisfy with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation,
   and her saints will ever sing for joy.
 ¹⁷ “Here I will make a horn^[c] grow for David
   and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
   but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 132:6 That is, Kiriath Jearim
2. Psalm 132:6 Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jaar. (And no quotes around verses 7-9)
3. Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.

Psalm 127

    A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
 ¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
   its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
   the watchmen stand guard in vain.
² In vain you rise early
   and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
   for he grants sleep to^[a] those he loves.
 ³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
   children a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
   are sons born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
   whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
   when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for

Psalm 99

 ¹ The LORD reigns,
   let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
   let the earth shake.
² Great is the LORD in Zion;
   he is exalted over all the nations.
³ Let them praise your great and awesome name—
   he is holy.
 ⁴ The King is mighty, he loves justice—
   you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
   what is just and right.
⁵ Exalt the LORD our God
   and worship at his footstool;
   he is holy.
 ⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
   Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD
   and he answered them.
⁷ He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
   they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
 ⁸ O LORD our God,
   you answered them;
you were to Israel^[a] a forgiving God,
   though you punished their misdeeds.^[b]
9 Exalt the LORD our God
   and worship at his holy mountain,
   for the LORD our God is holy.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 99:8 Hebrew them
2. Psalm 99:8 Or / an avenger of the wrongs done to them

Psalm 4

   For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
 ¹ Answer me when I call to you,
   O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
   be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
 ² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame^[a]?
   How long will you love delusions and seek false gods^[b]?
                         Selah

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
   the LORD will hear when I call to him.
 ⁴ In your anger do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent.
                         Selah

⁵ Offer right sacrifices
   and trust in the LORD.
 ⁶ Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
   Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy
   than when their grain and new wine abound.
⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,
   for you alone, O LORD,
   make me dwell in safety.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 4:2 Or you dishonor my Glorious One
2. Psalm 4:2 Or seek lies

Psalm 25

    Of David.
 ¹ To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
 ² in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one whose hope is in you
   will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
   who are treacherous without excuse.
 ⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD,
   teach me your paths;
⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
   for they are from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth
   and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
   for you are good, O LORD.
 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
   and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
   for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, O LORD,
   forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
¹² Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?
   He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
¹³ He will spend his days in prosperity,
   and his descendants will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The LORD confides in those who fear him;
   he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the LORD,
   for only he will release my feet from the snare.
 ¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
   free me from my anguish.
¹⁸ Look upon my affliction and my distress
   and take away all my sins.
¹⁹ See how my enemies have increased
   and how fiercely they hate me!
²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;
   let me not be put to shame,
   for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,
   because my hope is in you.
 ²² Redeem Israel, O God,
   from all their troubles!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 53

    For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[a] A maskil^[b] of David.
 ¹ The fool says in his heart,
   “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
   there is no one who does good.
 ² God looks down from heaven
   on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
   any who seek God.
³ Everyone has turned away,
   they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.
 ⁴ Will the evildoers never learn—
   those who devour my people as men eat bread
   and who do not call on God?
⁵ There they were, overwhelmed with dread,
   where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
   you put them to shame, for God despised them.
 ⁶ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
   When God restores the fortunes of his people,
   let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
2. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

Psalm 59

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[a] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.
 ¹ Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
   protect me from those who rise up against me.
² Deliver me from evildoers
   and save me from bloodthirsty men.
 ³ See how they lie in wait for me!
   Fierce men conspire against me
   for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
⁴ I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
   Arise to help me; look on my plight!
⁵ O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel,
   rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
   show no mercy to wicked traitors.
                         Selah
 ⁶ They return at evening,
   snarling like dogs,
   and prowl about the city.
⁷ See what they spew from their mouths—
   they spew out swords from their lips,
   and they say, “Who can hear us?”
⁸ But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
   you scoff at all those nations.
 ⁹ O my Strength, I watch for you;
   you, O God, are my fortress, ¹⁰ my loving God.
   God will go before me
   and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
¹¹ But do not kill them, O Lord our shield,^[b]
   or my people will forget.
In your might make them wander about,
   and bring them down.
¹² For the sins of their mouths,
   for the words of their lips,
   let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
 ¹³ consume them in wrath,
   consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
   that God rules over Jacob.
                         Selah
 ¹⁴ They return at evening,
   snarling like dogs,
   and prowl about the city.
¹⁵ They wander about for food
   and howl if not satisfied.
¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength,
   in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
   my refuge in times of trouble.
 ¹⁷ O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
   you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
2. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign

Psalm 115

 ¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us
   but to your name be the glory,
   because of your love and faithfulness.
 ² Why do the nations say,
   “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven;
   he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold,
   made by the hands of men.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
   eyes, but they cannot see;
⁶ they have ears, but cannot hear,
   noses, but they cannot smell;
⁷ they have hands, but cannot feel,
   feet, but they cannot walk;
   nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
   and so will all who trust in them.
 ⁹ O house of Israel, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
¹⁰ O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
¹¹ You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
   he is their help and shield.
 ¹² The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
   He will bless the house of Israel,
   he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³ he will bless those who fear the LORD—
   small and great alike.
 ¹⁴ May the LORD make you increase,
   both you and your children.
¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
   but the earth he has given to man.
¹⁷ It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
   those who go down to silence;
¹⁸ it is we who extol the LORD,
   both now and forevermore.
   Praise the LORD.^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

Psalm 35

   Of David.
 ¹ Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
   fight against those who fight against me.
² Take up shield and buckler;
   arise and come to my aid.
³ Brandish spear and javelin^[a]
   against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
   “I am your salvation.”
 ⁴ May those who seek my life
   be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
   be turned back in dismay.
⁵ May they be like chaff before the wind,
   with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
⁶ may their path be dark and slippery,
   with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
⁷ Since they hid their net for me without cause
   and without cause dug a pit for me,
⁸ may ruin overtake them by surprise—
   may the net they hid entangle them,
   may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
   and delight in his salvation.
¹⁰ My whole being will exclaim,
   “Who is like you, O LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
   the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
 ¹¹ Ruthless witnesses come forward;
   they question me on things I know nothing about.
¹² They repay me evil for good
   and leave my soul forlorn.
¹³ Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
   and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
 ¹⁴ I went about mourning
   as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
   as though weeping for my mother.
¹⁵ But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
   attackers gathered against me when I was unaware.
   They slandered me without ceasing.
¹⁶ Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked^[b];
   they gnashed their teeth at me.
¹⁷ O Lord, how long will you look on?
   Rescue my life from their ravages,
   my precious life from these lions.
¹⁸ I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
   among throngs of people I will praise you.
 ¹⁹ Let not those gloat over me
   who are my enemies without cause;
let not those who hate me without reason
   maliciously wink the eye.
²⁰ They do not speak peaceably,
   but devise false accusations
   against those who live quietly in the land.
²¹ They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
   With our own eyes we have seen it.”
 ²² O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent.
   Do not be far from me, O Lord.
²³ Awake, and rise to my defense!
   Contend for me, my God and Lord.
²⁴ Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
   do not let them gloat over me.
²⁵ Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
   or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
 ²⁶ May all who gloat over my distress
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
   be clothed with shame and disgrace.
²⁷ May those who delight in my vindication
   shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The LORD be exalted,
   who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
²⁸ My tongue will speak of your righteousness
   and of your praises all day long.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
2. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean ungodly circle of mockers.

Psalm 109

    For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 ¹ O God, whom I praise,
   do not remain silent,
² for wicked and deceitful men
   have opened their mouths against me;
   they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
³ With words of hatred they surround me;
   they attack me without cause.
⁴ In return for my friendship they accuse me,
   but I am a man of prayer.
⁵ They repay me evil for good,
   and hatred for my friendship.
 ⁶ Appoint^[a] an evil man^[b] to oppose him;
   let an accuser^[c] stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
   and may his prayers condemn him.
⁸ May his days be few;
   may another take his place of leadership.
⁹ May his children be fatherless
   and his wife a widow.
¹⁰ May his children be wandering beggars;
   may they be driven^[d] from their ruined homes.
¹¹ May a creditor seize all he has;
   may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
¹² May no one extend kindness to him
   or take pity on his fatherless children.
¹³ May his descendants be cut off,
   their names blotted out from the next generation.
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
   may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵ May their sins always remain before the LORD,
   that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
 ¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness,
   but hounded to death the poor
   and the needy and the brokenhearted.
¹⁷ He loved to pronounce a curse—
   may it^[e] come on him;
he found no pleasure in blessing—
   may it be^[f] far from him.
¹⁸ He wore cursing as his garment;
   it entered into his body like water,
   into his bones like oil.
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
   like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰ May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers,
   to those who speak evil of me.
 ²¹ But you, O Sovereign LORD,
   deal well with me for your name’s sake;
   out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
²² For I am poor and needy,
   and my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I fade away like an evening shadow;
   I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees give way from fasting;
   my body is thin and gaunt.
²⁵ I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
   when they see me, they shake their heads.
 ²⁶ Help me, O LORD my God;
   save me in accordance with your love.
²⁷ Let them know that it is your hand,
   that you, O LORD, have done it.
²⁸ They may curse, but you will bless;
   when they attack they will be put to shame,
   but your servant will rejoice.
²⁹ My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
   and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
 ³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
   in the great throng I will praise him.
³¹ For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
   to save his life from those who condemn him.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 109:6 Or They say: “Appoint (with quotation marks at the end of verse 19)
2. Psalm 109:6 Or the Evil One
3. Psalm 109:6 Or let Satan
4. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought
5. Psalm 109:17 Or curse, / and it has
6. Psalm 109:17 Or blessing, / and it is

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
 ¹ Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
 ² Sing the glory of his name;
   make his praise glorious!
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
   So great is your power
   that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴ All the earth bows down to you;
   they sing praise to you,
   they sing praise to your name.”
                         Selah
 ⁵ Come and see what God has done,
   how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land,
   they passed through the waters on foot—
   come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷ He rules forever by his power,
   his eyes watch the nations—
   let not the rebellious rise up against him.
                         Selah
 ⁸ Praise our God, O peoples,
   let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
   and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, O God, tested us;
   you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
   and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let men ride over our heads;
   we went through fire and water,
   but you brought us to a place of abundance.
 ¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
   and fulfill my vows to you—
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
   when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you
   and an offering of rams;
   I will offer bulls and goats.
                         Selah
 ¹⁶ Come and listen, all you who fear God;
   let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
   his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
   the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
   and heard my voice in prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
   who has not rejected my prayer
   or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 138

Of David.
 ¹ I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
   before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
   and will praise your name
   for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
   that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
   you greatly emboldened me.
 ⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
   when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
   for the glory of the LORD is great.
 ⁶ Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
   though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
   you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
   with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The LORD will vindicate me;
   your love, LORD, endures forever—
   do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 14

For the director of music. Of David.
 ¹ The fool^[a] says in his heart,
   “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
   there is no one who does good.
 ² The LORD looks down from heaven
   on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
   any who seek God.
³ All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
   there is no one who does good,
   not even one.
 ⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?
   They devour my people as though eating bread;
   they never call on the LORD.
⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
   for God is present in the company of the righteous.
⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
   but the LORD is their refuge.
 ⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
   When the LORD restores his people,
   let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

Psalm 10

 ¹ Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
   Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
 ² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
   who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³ He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
   he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
⁴ In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
   in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
⁵ His ways are always prosperous;
   your laws are rejected by^[b] him;
   he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
   He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
 ⁷ His mouth is full of lies and threats;
   trouble and evil are under his tongue.
⁸ He lies in wait near the villages;
   from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
 ⁹ like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
   he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
¹⁰ His victims are crushed, they collapse;
   they fall under his strength.
¹¹ He says to himself, “God will never notice;
   he covers his face and never sees.”
 ¹² Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
   Do not forget the helpless.
¹³ Why does the wicked man revile God?
   Why does he say to himself,
   “He won’t call me to account”?
¹⁴ But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
   you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
   you are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;
   call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
   that would not otherwise be found out.
 ¹⁶ The LORD is King for ever and ever;
   the nations will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
   you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
   so that mere earthly mortals
   will never again strike terror.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 10:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
2. Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from