Psalm 83

A song. A psalm of Asaph.
 ¹ O God, do not remain silent;
   do not turn a deaf ear,
   do not stand aloof, O God.
² See how your enemies growl,
   how your foes rear their heads.
³ With cunning they conspire against your people;
   they plot against those you cherish.
⁴ “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
   so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
 ⁵ With one mind they plot together;
   they form an alliance against you—
⁶ the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
   of Moab and the Hagrites,
⁷ Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
   Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
⁸ Even Assyria has joined them
   to reinforce Lot’s descendants.^[b]
 9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
   as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
¹⁰ who perished at Endor
   and became like dung on the ground.
¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
   all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² who said, “Let us take possession
   of the pasturelands of God.”
 ¹³ Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
   like chaff before the wind.
¹⁴ As fire consumes the forest
   or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ so pursue them with your tempest
   and terrify them with your storm.
¹⁶ Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
   so that they will seek your name.
 ¹⁷ May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
   may they perish in disgrace.
¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
   that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
2. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2

 ¹ Why do the nations conspire^[a]
   and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth rise up
   and the rulers band together
   against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,
³ “Let us break their chains
   and throw off their shackles.”  ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
   the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in his anger
   and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
⁶ “I have installed my king
   on Zion, my holy mountain.”
 ⁷ I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
   He said to me, “You are my son;
   today I have become your father.
⁸ Ask me,
   and I will make the nations your inheritance,
   the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron^[b];
   you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
 ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
   be warned, you rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear
   and celebrate his rule with trembling.
¹² Kiss his son, or he will be angry
   and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
   Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 2:1 Hebrew; Septuagint rage
2. Psalm 2:9 Or will rule them with an iron scepter (see Septuagint and Syriac)

Psalm 103

Of David.
 ¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.
 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.
 ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.
 ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.
   Praise the LORD, my soul.

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.
 ¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
 ² Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
   to my cry for mercy.
 ³ If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
   Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
   so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
 ⁵ I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
   and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
   more than watchmen wait for the morning,
   more than watchmen wait for the morning.
 ⁷ Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
   for with the LORD is unfailing love
   and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
   from all their sins.

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.
 ¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
   to those who are pure in heart.
 ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
   I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
   when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
 ⁴ They have no struggles;
   their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
   they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
   they clothe themselves with violence.
⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity^[b];
   their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
   with arrogance they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
   and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
   and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
   Does the Most High know anything?”
 ¹² This is what the wicked are like—
   always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
 ¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
   and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
   and every morning brings new punishments.
 ¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
   I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
   it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
   then I understood their final destiny.
 ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
   you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
   completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
   when you arise, Lord,
   you will despise them as fantasies.
 ²¹ When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
   I was a brute beast before you.
 ²³ Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.
 ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
   you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
   I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
   I will tell of all your deeds.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
2. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
3. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Psalm 81

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.
 ¹ Sing for joy to God our strength;
   shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
² Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
   play the melodious harp and lyre.
 ³ Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon,
   and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
⁴ this is a decree for Israel,
   an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
⁵ When God went out against Egypt,
   he established it as a statute for Joseph.
   I heard an unknown voice say:
 ⁶ “I removed the burden from their shoulders;
   their hands were set free from the basket.
⁷ In your distress you called and I rescued you,
   I answered you out of a thundercloud;
   I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[c]
8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
   if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹ You shall have no foreign god among you;
   you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰ I am the LORD your God,
   who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
 ¹¹ “But my people would not listen to me;
   Israel would not submit to me.
¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
   to follow their own devices.
 ¹³ “If my people would only listen to me,
   if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴ how quickly I would subdue their enemies
   and turn my hand against their foes!
¹⁵ Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
   and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶ But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
   with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
2. Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
3. Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Psalm 57

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
 ¹ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
   for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
   until the disaster has passed.
 ² I cry out to God Most High,
   to God, who vindicates me.
³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
   rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[c]
   God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
 ⁴ I am in the midst of lions;
   I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
   whose tongues are sharp swords.
 ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.
 ⁶ They spread a net for my feet—
   I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
   but they have fallen into it themselves.
 ⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast,
   my heart is steadfast;
   I will sing and make music.
⁸ Awake, my soul!
   Awake, harp and lyre!
   I will awaken the dawn.
 ⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
   I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
   your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
 ¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
2. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
3. Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.