Psalm 51-79

New American Standard Bible

⁵ Behold, I was ^(J)brought forth in guilt,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶ Behold, You desire ^(K)truth in the ^[e]innermost being,
And in secret You will ^(L)make wisdom known to me.
^7 [f]Purify me ^(M)with hyssop, and I will be clean;
^[g]Cleanse me, and I will be ^(N)whiter than snow.
^8 [h]Let me hear ^(O)joy and gladness,
Let the ^(P)bones You have broken rejoice.
^9 (Q)Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

^10 (R)Create ^[i]in me a ^(S)clean heart, God,
And renew a ^(T)steadfast spirit within me.
^11 (U)Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your ^(V)Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the ^(W)joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a ^(X)willing spirit.
¹³ Then I will ^(Y)teach wrongdoers Your ways,
And sinners will ^[j]be ^(Z)converted to You.

¹⁴ Save me from ^(AA)the guilt of bloodshed, God, ^(AB)the God of my salvation;
Then my ^(AC)tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
¹⁵ Lord, ^[k](AD)open my lips,
So that my mouth may ^(AE)declare Your praise.
¹⁶ For You ^(AF)do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a ^(AG)broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

^18 (AH)By Your favor do good to Zion;
^[l](AI)Build the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then You will delight in ^[m](AJ)righteous sacrifices,
In ^(AK)burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then ^[n]bulls will be offered on Your altar.

^5 [q]But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and ^(AT)tear you away from your tent,
And ^(AU)uproot you from the ^(AV)land of the living. Selah
⁶ The righteous will ^(AW)see and fear,
And they will ^(AX)laugh at him, saying,
⁷ “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But ^(AY)trusted in the abundance of his riches
And ^(AZ)was strong in ^[r]his evil desire.”

⁸ But as for me, I am like a ^(BA)green olive tree in the house of God;
I ^(BB)trust in the faithfulness of God forever and ever.
⁹ I will ^(BC)praise You forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, ^(BD)for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

⁴ Have the workers of injustice ^(BJ)no knowledge,
Who eat up My people like they ate bread,
And have not called upon God?
⁵ They were in great ^[v]fear there, ^(BK)where no ^[w]fear had been;
For God ^(BL)scattered the bones of ^[x]him who encamped against you;
You ^(BM)put them to shame, because ^(BN)God had rejected them.
⁶ Oh, that ^(BO)the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of His people,
Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

⁴ Behold, ^(BX)God is my helper;
The Lord is ^[ac]the ^(BY)sustainer of my soul.
^5 [ad]He will ^(BZ)pay back the evil to my enemies;
^[ae](CA)Destroy them ^(CB)in Your ^[af]faithfulness.

^6 [ag](CC)Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will ^(CD)praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.
⁷ For ^[ah]He has ^(CE)saved me from all ^[ai]trouble,
And my eye has ^(CF)looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

⁴ My ^(CO)heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of ^(CP)death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and ^(CQ)trembling come upon me,
And ^[am](CR)horror has ^[an]overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and ^[ao](CS)be at rest.
⁷ Behold, I would flee far away,
I would ^(CT)spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah
⁸ I would hurry to my place of refuge
From the ^(CU)stormy wind and heavy gale.”

⁹ Confuse them, Lord, ^(CV)divide their tongues,
For I have seen ^(CW)violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And evil and harm are in her midst.
^11 (CX)Destruction is in her midst;
^(CY)Oppression and deceit do not depart from her ^[ap]streets.

¹² For it is ^(CZ)not an enemy who taunts me,
Then I could endure it;
Nor is it one who hates me who ^(DA)has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
¹³ But it is you, a man ^[aq]my equal,
My ^(DB)companion and my ^(DC)confidant;
¹⁴ We who had sweet ^[ar]fellowship together,
^(DD)Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
¹⁵ May ^[as]death come ^(DE)deceitfully upon them;
May they ^(DF)go down alive to ^[at]Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

¹⁶ As for me, I shall ^(DG)call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
^17 (DH)Evening and ^(DI)morning and at ^(DJ)noon, I will complain and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
¹⁸ He will ^(DK)redeem my soul in peace ^[au]from the battle which is against me,
For they are ^(DL)many who are aggressive toward me.
¹⁹ God will ^(DM)hear and humiliate them—
Even the one ^(DN)who ^[av]sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah
With whom there ^[aw]is no change,
And who ^(DO)do not fear God.
²⁰ He has put forth his hands against ^(DP)those who were at peace with him;
He has ^[ax](DQ)violated his covenant.
²¹ His ^[ay]speech was ^(DR)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were ^(DS)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn ^(DT)swords.

^22 (DU)Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
^(DV)He will never allow the righteous to ^[az](DW)be shaken.
²³ But You, God, will bring them down to the ^(DX)pit of destruction;
^(DY)Men of bloodshed and deceit will ^(DZ)not live out half their days.
But I will ^(EA)trust in You.

⁸ You ^(EQ)have taken account of my ^[bn]miseries;
Put my ^(ER)tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in ^(ES)Your book?
⁹ Then my enemies will ^(ET)turn back ^(EU)on the day when I call;
This I know, ^[bo]that ^(EV)God is for me.
¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise,
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
¹¹ In God I have put my ^[bp]trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can mankind do to me?
¹² Your ^(EW)vows are binding upon me, God;
I will render thanksgiving offerings to You.
¹³ For You have ^(EX)saved my soul from death,
^[bq]Indeed ^(EY)my feet from stumbling,
So that I may ^(EZ)walk before God
In the ^(FA)light of the ^[br]living.

⁴ My soul is among ^(FI)lions;
I must lie among those who devour,
Among sons of mankind whose ^(FJ)teeth are spears and arrows,
And their ^(FK)tongue is a sharp sword.
^5 (FL)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.
⁶ They have prepared a ^(FM)net for my steps;
My soul is ^(FN)bowed down;
They ^(FO)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have ^(FP)fallen into the midst of it. Selah

^7 (FQ)My ^(FR)heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
⁸ Awake, ^(FS)my glory!
Awake, ^(FT)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
^9 (FU)I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the ^[bx]nations.
¹⁰ For Your ^(FV)goodness is great to the heavens
And Your ^[by]truth to the clouds.
^11 (FW)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.

⁶ God, ^(GF)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
⁷ May they ^(GG)flow away like water that runs off;
When he ^[cg](GH)aims his arrows, may they be as ^[ch]headless shafts.
⁸ May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the ^(GI)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
⁹ Before your ^(GJ)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will ^(GK)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^[ci]green and the burning alike.

¹⁰ The ^(GL)righteous will rejoice when he ^(GM)sees vengeance;
He will ^(GN)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ And people will say, “There certainly is ^[cj](GO)a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who ^(GP)judges on the earth!”

⁹ Because of ^[cu]his ^(HJ)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my ^(HK)refuge.
^10 [cv]My God ^(HL)in His faithfulness will meet me;
God will let me ^(HM)look triumphantly upon my enemies.
¹¹ Do not kill them, ^(HN)or my people will forget;
^[cw](HO)Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
Lord, ^(HP)our shield.
^12 [cx]On account of the ^(HQ)sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
May they even be ^(HR)caught in their pride,
And on account of ^(HS)curses and lies which they tell.
^13 [cy](HT)Destroy them in wrath, ^[cz]destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
So that people may ^(HU)know that God ^[da]rules in Jacob,
To the ends of the earth. Selah
¹⁴ They ^(HV)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And prowl around the city.
¹⁵ They ^(HW)wander about ^[db]for food
And ^[dc]murmur if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶ But as for me, I will ^(HX)sing of Your strength;
Yes, I will ^(HY)joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the ^(HZ)morning,
For You have been my ^(IA)refuge
And a ^(IB)place of refuge on the day of my distress.
^17 (IC)My strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my ^(ID)refuge, the ^[dd]God who shows me favor.

⁶ God has spoken in His ^[dm](IQ)holiness:
“I will triumph, I will divide up ^(IR)Shechem, and measure out the Valley of ^(IS)Succoth.
^7 (IT)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
^(IU)Ephraim also is the ^[dn]helmet of My head;
Judah is My ^(IV)scepter.
^8 (IW)Moab is My washbowl;
I will throw My sandal over ^(IX)Edom;
Shout loud, ^(IY)Philistia, because of Me!”

⁹ Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who ^[do]will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have You Yourself not ^(IZ)rejected us, God?
And ^(JA)will You not go out with our armies, God?
¹¹ Oh give us help against the enemy,
For ^(JB)rescue ^[dp]by man is worthless.
^12 [dq]Through God we will ^(JC)do valiantly,
And it is He who will ^(JD)trample down our enemies.

⁵ For You have heard my ^(JN)vows, God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who ^(JO)fear Your name.
⁶ You will ^[ds](JP)prolong the king’s ^[dt]life;
His years will be like generations.
⁷ He will ^[du]sit enthroned ^(JQ)before God forever;
Appoint ^(JR)faithfulness and truth that they may watch over him.
⁸ So I will ^(JS)sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may ^(JT)pay my vows day by day.

³ How long will you attack a man,
That you may murder him, all of you,
Like a ^(JY)leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
⁴ They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position;
They ^(JZ)delight in falsehood;
They ^(KA)bless with ^[dw]their mouth,
But inwardly they curse. Selah

⁵ My soul, ^(KB)wait in silence for God alone,
For my hope is from Him.
⁶ He alone is ^(KC)my rock and my salvation,
My refuge; I will not be shaken.
⁷ My ^(KD)salvation and my glory rest on God;
The rock of my strength, my ^(KE)refuge is in God.
^8 (KF)Trust in Him at all times, you people;
^(KG)Pour out your hearts before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹ People of ^(KH)low standing are only ^(KI)breath, and people of rank are a ^(KJ)lie;
In the ^(KK)balances they go up.
Together they are lighter than breath.
^10 (KL)Do not trust in oppression,
And do not vainly rely on ^(KM)robbery;
If wealth increases, ^(KN)do not set your heart on it.

¹¹ God has ^(KO)spoken ^[dx]once;
^[dy]Twice I have heard this:
That ^(KP)power belongs to God;
¹² And faithfulness ^(KQ)is Yours, Lord,
For You ^(KR)reward a person according to his work.

⁶ When I remember You ^(LB)on my bed,
I meditate on You in the ^(LC)night watches,
⁷ For ^(LD)You have been my help,
And in the ^(LE)shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
⁸ My soul ^(LF)clings ^[eb]to You;
Your ^(LG)right hand takes hold of me.

⁹ But those who ^(LH)seek my ^[ec]life to destroy it,
Will go into the ^[ed](LI)depths of the earth.
^10 [ee]They will be ^[ef](LJ)turned over to the power of the sword;
They will be a ^[eg](LK)prey for foxes.
¹¹ But the ^(LL)king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who ^(LM)swears by Him will boast,
For the ^(LN)mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

⁷ But ^(LZ)God ^[ep]will shoot an arrow at them;
Suddenly ^[eq]they will be wounded.
⁸ So ^[er]they ^[es]will ^(MA)make him stumble;
^(MB)Their own tongue is against them;
All who see them will ^(MC)shake their heads.
⁹ Then all people ^[et]will ^(MD)fear,
And they ^[eu]will ^(ME)declare the work of God,
And ^[ev]will consider ^[ew]what He has done.
¹⁰ The righteous person will be ^(MF)glad in the Lord and ^(MG)take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will boast.

⁵ By ^(MO)awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, ^(MP)God of our salvation,
You who are the trust of all the ^(MQ)ends of the earth and the farthest ^[fb](MR)sea;
⁶ Who ^(MS)establishes the mountains by His strength,
Who is ^(MT)encircled with might;
⁷ Who ^(MU)stills the roaring of the seas,
The roaring of their waves,
And the ^(MV)turmoil of the nations.
⁸ They who dwell at the ^(MW)ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the ^[fc]sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.

⁹ You visit the earth and ^(MX)cause it to overflow;
You greatly ^(MY)enrich it;
The ^[fd](MZ)stream of God is full of water;
You prepare their ^(NA)grain, for so You prepare ^[fe]the earth.
¹⁰ You water its furrows abundantly,
You ^[ff]settle its ridges,
You soften it ^(NB)with showers,
You bless its growth.
¹¹ You have crowned the year ^[fg]with Your ^(NC)goodness,
And Your ^[fh]paths ^(ND)drip with fatness.
^12 (NE)The pastures of the wilderness drip,
And the ^(NF)hills encircle themselves with rejoicing.
¹³ The meadows are ^(NG)clothed with flocks
And the valleys are ^(NH)covered with grain;
They ^(NI)shout for joy, yes, they sing.

^5 (NQ)Come and see the works of God,
Who is ^(NR)awesome in His deeds toward the sons of mankind.
⁶ He ^(NS)turned the sea into dry land;
They passed through ^(NT)the river on foot;
Let’s ^(NU)rejoice there, in Him!
⁷ He ^(NV)rules by His might forever;
His ^(NW)eyes keep watch on the nations;
The rebellious shall not ^(NX)exalt themselves! Selah

⁸ Bless our God, you peoples,
And ^[fi](NY)sound His praise abroad,
⁹ Who ^[fj](NZ)keeps us in life,
And ^(OA)does not allow our feet to ^[fk]slip.
¹⁰ For You have ^(OB)put us to the test, God;
You have ^(OC)refined us as silver is refined.
¹¹ You ^(OD)brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon ^[fl]us.
¹² You made men ^(OE)ride over our heads;
We went through ^(OF)fire and through water.
Yet You ^(OG)brought us out into a place of abundance.
¹³ I shall ^(OH)come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall ^(OI)pay You my vows,
¹⁴ Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was ^(OJ)in distress.
¹⁵ I shall ^(OK)offer to You burnt offerings of fat animals,
With the smoke of ^(OL)rams;
I shall make an offering of ^[fm]bulls with male goats. Selah

^16 (OM)Come and hear, all who ^[fn]fear God,
And I will ^(ON)tell of what He has done for my soul.
¹⁷ I cried to Him with my mouth,
And ^[fo]He was ^(OO)exalted with my tongue.
¹⁸ If I ^[fp](OP)regard wickedness in my heart,
The ^(OQ)Lord will not hear;
¹⁹ But ^(OR)God has heard;
He has given attention to the sound of my prayer.
^20 (OS)Blessed be God,
Who ^(OT)has not turned away my prayer
Nor His favor from me.

⁵ A ^(PP)father of the fatherless and a ^(PQ)judge ^[fx]for the widows,
Is God in His ^(PR)holy dwelling.
⁶ God ^[fy](PS)makes a home for the lonely;
He ^(PT)leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only ^(PU)the rebellious live in parched lands.

⁷ God, when You ^(PV)went forth before Your people,
When You ^(PW)marched through the desert, Selah
⁸ The ^(PX)earth quaked;
The ^(PY)heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
^[fz](PZ)Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You ^(QA)made plentiful rain fall, God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was ^[ga]parched.
¹⁰ Your creatures settled in it;
In Your kindness You ^(QB)provided for the poor, God.

¹¹ The Lord gives the ^[gb]command;
The ^(QC)women who proclaim good news are a great army:
¹² “^(QD)Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will ^(QE)divide the spoils!”
^13 [gc]When you lie down ^(QF)among the sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with ^[gd]glistening gold.
¹⁴ When the Almighty ^(QG)scattered the kings ^[ge]there,
It was snowing in ^(QH)Zalmon.

^15 (QI)The mountain of Bashan is a ^[gf]mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
¹⁶ Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks,
At the mountain God has ^(QJ)desired as His dwelling?
Indeed, ^(QK)the Lord will dwell there forever.
¹⁷ The ^(QL)chariots of God are ^[gg]myriads, ^(QM)thousands upon thousands;
^[gh]The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
¹⁸ You have ^(QN)ascended on high, You have ^(QO)led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among people,
Even among the rebellious as well, that ^[gi]the Lord God may dwell there.

¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord, who daily ^(QP)bears our burden,
^(QQ)The God who is our salvation. Selah
²⁰ God is to us a ^(QR)God of salvation;
And ^(QS)to ^[gj]God the Lord belong ways of escape ^[gk]from death.
²¹ God certainly will ^(QT)shatter the heads of His enemies,
The hairy ^[gl]head of one who goes about in his guilt.
²² The Lord ^[gm]said, “^(QU)I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
²³ So that ^[gn](QV)your foot may shatter them in blood,
And the tongue of your ^(QW)dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

²⁴ They have seen ^(QX)Your procession, God,
The procession of my God, my King, ^[go](QY)into the sanctuary.
²⁵ The ^(QZ)singers went on, the musicians after them,
^[gp]In the midst of the ^(RA)young women beating tambourines.
^26 (RB)Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the ^(RC)fountain of Israel.
^27 (RD)Benjamin, the ^[gq]youngest, is there, ^[gr]ruling them,
The leaders of Judah in their company,
The leaders of ^(RE)Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

^28 [gs]Your God has ^(RF)commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, God, You ^(RG)who acted ^[gt]in our behalf.
^29 [gu]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
^(RH)Kings will bring gifts to You.
³⁰ Rebuke the ^(RI)animals ^[gv]in the reeds,
The herd of ^(RJ)bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling the pieces of silver;
He has ^(RK)scattered the peoples who delight in war.
^31 [gw]Messengers will come from ^(RL)Egypt;
^[gx](RM)Cush will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

³² Sing to God, you ^(RN)kingdoms of the earth,
^(RO)Sing praises to the Lord, Selah
³³ To Him who ^(RP)rides upon the ^[gy](RQ)highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, ^(RR)He ^[gz]speaks with His voice, a ^(RS)mighty voice.
^34 (RT)Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel,
And ^(RU)His strength is in the ^[ha]skies.
^35 [hb]God, You are ^(RV)awesome from Your ^[hc]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself ^(RW)gives strength and power to the people.
^(RX)Blessed be God!

⁵ God, You know ^(SG)my foolishness,
And ^(SH)my guilt is not hidden from You.
⁶ May those who wait for You not ^(SI)be ashamed because of me, Lord ^[hh]God of armies;
May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel,
⁷ Because ^(SJ)for Your sake I have endured disgrace;
^(SK)Dishonor has covered my face.
⁸ I have become ^(SL)estranged ^[hi]from my brothers,
And a stranger to my mother’s sons.
⁹ For ^(SM)zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And ^(SN)the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.
¹⁰ When I wept ^(SO)in my soul with fasting,
It became my ^(SP)disgrace.
¹¹ When I made ^(SQ)sackcloth my clothing,
I became ^(SR)a proverb to them.
¹² Those who ^(SS)sit in the gate talk about me,
And ^(ST)songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, ^(SU)at an acceptable time;
God, in the ^(SV)greatness of Your mercy,
Answer me with ^[hj]Your saving truth.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the ^(SW)mud and do not let me sink;
May I be ^(SX)rescued from those who hate me, and from the ^(SY)depths of water.
¹⁵ May the ^[hk](SZ)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the ^(TA)pit close its mouth on me.

¹⁶ Answer me, Lord, for ^(TB)Your mercy is good;
^(TC)According to the greatness of Your compassion, ^(TD)turn to me,
¹⁷ And ^(TE)do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am ^(TF)in distress; answer me quickly.
¹⁸ Come near to my soul and ^(TG)redeem it;
^(TH)Ransom me because of my enemies!
¹⁹ You know my ^(TI)disgrace, my shame, and my dishonor;
All my enemies are ^[hl]known to You.

²⁰ Disgrace has ^(TJ)broken my heart, and I am so sick.
And ^(TK)I waited for sympathy, but there was none;
And for ^(TL)comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They also gave me ^[hm](TM)a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they ^(TN)gave me vinegar to drink.

²² May ^(TO)their table before them become a snare;
And ^[hn](TP)when they are at peace, may it become a trap.
²³ May their ^(TQ)eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their ^(TR)hips shake continually.
^24 (TS)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their ^[ho](TT)camp be desolated;
May there be none living in their tents.
²⁶ For they have ^(TU)persecuted him whom ^(TV)You Yourself struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom ^(TW)You have ^[hp]wounded.
²⁷ Add ^(TX)guilt to their guilt,
And ^(TY)may they not come into ^(TZ)Your righteousness.
²⁸ May they be ^(UA)wiped out of the ^(UB)book of life,
And may they not be ^[hq](UC)recorded with the righteous.

²⁹ But I am ^(UD)afflicted and in pain;
^[hr]May Your salvation, God, ^(UE)set me safely on high.
³⁰ I will ^(UF)praise the name of God with song,
And ^(UG)exalt Him with ^(UH)thanksgiving.
³¹ And it will ^(UI)please the Lord better than an ox
Or bull with horns and hoofs.
³² The ^(UJ)humble ^[hs]have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, ^(UK)let your heart ^[ht]revive.
³³ For ^(UL)the Lord hears the needy,
And ^(UM)does not despise those of His who are prisoners.

^34 (UN)Heaven and earth shall praise Him,
The seas and ^(UO)everything that moves in them.
³⁵ For God will ^(UP)save Zion and ^(UQ)build the cities of Judah,
So that they may live there and ^(UR)possess it.
³⁶ The ^[hu](US)descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name ^(UT)will live in it.

⁴ May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And may those who love Your salvation say continually,
“May God be exalted!”
⁵ But ^(UX)I am afflicted and needy;
^(UY)Hurry to me, God!
You are my help and my savior;
Lord, do not delay.

⁷ I have become a ^(VM)marvel to many,
For You are ^(VN)my strong refuge.
⁸ My ^(VO)mouth is filled with Your praise
And with ^(VP)Your glory all day long.
⁹ Do not cast me away at the ^(VQ)time of my old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails.
¹⁰ For my enemies have spoken ^[ib]against me;
And those who ^(VR)watch for my ^[ic]life ^(VS)have consulted together,
¹¹ Saying, “^(VT)God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is ^(VU)no one to save him.”

¹² God, ^(VV)do not be far from me;
My God, ^(VW)hurry to my aid!
¹³ May those who are enemies of my soul be ^(VX)put to shame and consumed;
May they be ^(VY)covered with disgrace and dishonor, who ^(VZ)seek ^[id]to injure me.
¹⁴ But as for me, I will ^(WA)wait continually,
And will ^[ie](WB)praise You yet more and more.
¹⁵ My ^(WC)mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of ^(WD)Your salvation all day long;
For I ^(WE)do not know the art of writing.
¹⁶ I will come ^(WF)with the mighty deeds of the Lord ^[if]God;
I will ^(WG)make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

¹⁷ God, You ^(WH)have taught me from my youth,
And I still ^(WI)declare Your wondrous deeds.
¹⁸ And even when I am ^(WJ)old and gray, God, do not abandon me,
Until I ^(WK)declare Your ^[ig]strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
^19 [ih]For Your ^(WL)righteousness, God, reaches to the ^[ii]heavens,
You who have ^(WM)done great things;
God, ^(WN)who is like You?
²⁰ You who have ^(WO)shown ^[ij]me many troubles and distresses
Will ^(WP)revive ^[ik]me again,
And will bring ^[il]me up again ^(WQ)from the depths of the earth.
²¹ May You increase my ^(WR)greatness
And turn to ^(WS)comfort me.

²² I will also praise You with ^[im](WT)a harp,
And Your ^[in]truth, my God;
I will sing praises to You with the ^(WU)lyre,
^(WV)Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will ^(WW)shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my ^(WX)soul, which You have redeemed.
²⁴ My ^(WY)tongue also will tell of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ^(WZ)put to shame, for they are humiliated who seek ^[io]my harm.

^5 [iw]May they fear You ^(XG)while the sun shines,
And ^[ix]as long as the moon shines, throughout all generations.
^6 [iy]May he come down ^(XH)like rain upon the mown grass,
Like ^(XI)showers that water the earth.
^7 [iz]May the ^(XJ)righteous flourish in his days,
As well as an ^(XK)abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

⁸ May he also rule ^(XL)from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
^9 [ja]May ^(XM)the nomads of the desert ^(XN)bow before him,
And his enemies ^(XO)lick the dust.
^10 [jb]May the kings of ^(XP)Tarshish and of the ^[jc](XQ)islands bring gifts;
May the kings of ^(XR)Sheba and ^(XS)Seba ^(XT)offer tributes.
^11 [jd]And may all ^(XU)kings bow down before him,
All ^(XV)nations serve him.

¹² For he will ^(XW)save the needy when he cries for help,
The ^[je]afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
¹³ He will have ^(XX)compassion on the poor and needy,
And he will save the ^[jf]lives of the needy.
¹⁴ He will ^[jg](XY)rescue their ^[jh]life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be ^(XZ)precious in his sight;
¹⁵ So may he live, and may the ^(YA)gold of Sheba be given to him;
And ^[ji]they are to pray for him continually;
^[jj]They are to bless him all day long.

¹⁶ May there be abundance of grain on the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of ^(YB)Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like the ^(YC)vegetation of the earth.
¹⁷ May his ^(YD)name endure forever;
May his name produce descendants ^[jk](YE)as long as the sun shines;
And may people ^(YF)wish blessings on themselves by him;
^(YG)May all nations call him blessed.

^18 (YH)Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone ^(YI)works wonders.
¹⁹ And blessed be His ^(YJ)glorious name forever;
And may the whole ^(YK)earth be filled with His glory.
^(YL)Amen and Amen.

²⁰ The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

¹⁰ Therefore ^[js]his people return here,
And ^(YZ)abundant waters are drunk by them.
¹¹ They say, “^(ZA)How does God know?
And is there knowledge ^[jt]with the Most High?”
¹² Behold, ^(ZB)these are the wicked;
And always ^(ZC)at ease, they have increased in wealth.
¹³ Surely ^(ZD)in vain I have ^[ju]kept my heart pure
And ^(ZE)washed my hands in innocence;
¹⁴ For I have been stricken ^(ZF)all day long,
And ^[jv](ZG)punished every morning.

¹⁵ If I had said, “I will speak this way,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the ^(ZH)generation of Your children.
¹⁶ When I ^(ZI)thought of understanding this,
It was ^[jw]troublesome in my sight
¹⁷ Until I entered the ^[jx](ZJ)sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their ^(ZK)end.
¹⁸ You indeed put them on ^(ZL)slippery ground;
You dropped them into ^[jy](ZM)ruin.
¹⁹ How they are ^[jz](ZN)destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by ^(ZO)sudden terrors!
²⁰ Like a ^(ZP)dream when one awakes,
Lord, when ^(ZQ)stirred, You will ^(ZR)despise their image.

²¹ When my ^(ZS)heart was embittered
And I was ^(ZT)pierced ^[ka]within,
²² Then I was ^(ZU)stupid and ignorant;
I was like an ^(ZV)animal ^[kb]before You.
²³ Nevertheless ^(ZW)I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
²⁴ You will ^(ZX)guide me with Your plan,
And afterward ^(ZY)receive me ^[kc]to glory.

^25 (ZZ)Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
²⁶ My ^(AAA)flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the ^[kd]strength of my heart and my ^(AAB)portion forever.
²⁷ For, behold, ^(AAC)those who are far from You will ^(AAD)perish;
You have destroyed all those who ^[ke](AAE)are unfaithful to You.
²⁸ But as for me, ^(AAF)the nearness of God is good for me;
I have made the Lord ^[kf]God my ^(AAG)refuge,
So that I may ^(AAH)tell of all Your works.

¹² Yet God is ^(ABG)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
^13 [kr]You ^(ABH)divided the sea by Your strength;
^[ks]You ^(ABI)broke the heads of the ^(ABJ)sea monsters ^[kt]in the waters.
^14 [ku]You crushed the heads of ^[kv](ABK)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the ^[kw]creatures ^(ABL)of the wilderness.
^15 [kx]You ^(ABM)broke open springs and torrents;
^[ky]You ^(ABN)dried up ever-flowing streams.
¹⁶ Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
^[kz]You have ^(ABO)prepared the ^[la]light and the sun.
^17 [lb]You have ^(ABP)established all the boundaries of the earth;
^[lc]You have ^[ld]created ^(ABQ)summer and winter.

¹⁸ Remember this, ^[le]Lord, that the enemy has ^(ABR)taunted You,
And a ^(ABS)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
¹⁹ Do not give the soul of Your ^(ABT)turtledove to the wild animal;
^(ABU)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
²⁰ Consider the ^(ABV)covenant;
For the ^(ABW)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
²¹ May the ^(ABX)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the ^(ABY)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

²² Arise, God, and ^(ABZ)plead Your own cause;
Remember ^[lf]how the ^(ACA)foolish person taunts You all day long.
²³ Do not forget the voice of Your ^(ACB)adversaries,
The ^(ACC)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

⁶ For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the ^[lj](ACM)desert comes exaltation;
⁷ But ^(ACN)God is the Judge;
He ^(ACO)puts down one and exalts another.
⁸ For a ^(ACP)cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is ^[lk](ACQ)well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Certainly all the wicked of the earth must drain and ^(ACR)drink its dregs.

⁹ But as for me, I will ^(ACS)declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
¹⁰ And ^[ll]He will cut off all the ^(ACT)horns of the wicked,
But ^(ACU)the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

⁴ You are resplendent,
^[lp]More majestic than the mountains of prey.
⁵ The ^(ADB)stouthearted were plundered,
^[lq]They sank into sleep;
And none of the ^[lr]warriors could use his hands.
⁶ At Your ^(ADC)rebuke, God of Jacob,
Both ^[ls](ADD)rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
⁷ You, You indeed are ^(ADE)to be feared,
And ^(ADF)who may stand in Your presence, ^[lt]once You are angry?

⁸ You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth ^(ADG)feared and was still
⁹ When God ^(ADH)arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth. Selah
¹⁰ For the ^[lu](ADI)wrath of mankind shall praise You;
You will encircle Yourself with a remnant of wrath.

^11 (ADJ)Make vows to the Lord your God and ^(ADK)fulfill them;
All who are around Him are to ^(ADL)bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
¹² He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is ^[lv](ADM)feared by the kings of the earth.

⁷ Will the Lord ^(ADZ)reject forever?
And will He ^(AEA)never be favorable again?
⁸ Has His ^(AEB)favor ceased forever?
Has His ^[ly](AEC)promise come to an end ^[lz]forever?
⁹ Has God ^(AED)forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger ^[ma]withdrawn His ^(AEE)compassion? Selah
¹⁰ Then I said, “^(AEF)It is my ^[mb]grief,
That the ^(AEG)right hand of the Most High has changed.”

¹¹ I shall remember the ^(AEH)deeds of ^[mc]the Lord;
I will certainly ^(AEI)remember Your wonders of old.
¹² I will ^(AEJ)meditate on all Your work,
And on Your deeds with thanksgiving.
¹³ Your way, God, is ^(AEK)holy;
^(AEL)What god is great like our God?
¹⁴ You are the ^(AEM)God who works wonders;
You have ^(AEN)made known Your strength among the peoples.
¹⁵ By Your ^[md]power You have ^(AEO)redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and ^(AEP)Joseph. Selah

¹⁶ The ^(AEQ)waters saw You, God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The ocean depths also trembled.
¹⁷ The ^(AER)clouds poured out water;
The skies ^[me](AES)sounded out;
Your ^(AET)arrows ^[mf]flashed here and there.
¹⁸ The ^(AEU)sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The ^(AEV)lightning lit up the world;
The ^(AEW)earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your ^(AEX)way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints were not known.
²⁰ You ^(AEY)led Your people like a flock
By the hand of ^(AEZ)Moses and Aaron.

⁵ For He established a ^(AFI)testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a ^(AFJ)law in Israel,
Which He ^(AFK)commanded our fathers
That they were to ^[mi](AFL)teach them to their children,
^6 (AFM)So that the generation to come would know, ^(AFN)the children yet to be born,
That they would arise and ^(AFO)tell them to their children,
⁷ So that they would put their confidence in God
And ^(AFP)not forget the works of God,
But ^(AFQ)comply with His commandments,
⁸ And ^(AFR)not be like their fathers,
A ^(AFS)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that ^(AFT)did not ^[mj]prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not ^(AFU)faithful to God.

⁹ The sons of Ephraim ^[mk]were ^(AFV)archers equipped with bows,
Yet ^(AFW)they turned back on the day of battle.
¹⁰ They ^(AFX)did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to ^(AFY)walk in His Law;
¹¹ They ^(AFZ)forgot His deeds
And His ^[ml]miracles that He had shown them.
^12 (AGA)He performed wonders before their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the ^(AGB)field of Zoan.
¹³ He ^(AGC)divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
And He made the waters stand ^(AGD)up like a heap.
¹⁴ Then He led them with the cloud by ^(AGE)day
And all the night with a ^(AGF)light of fire.
¹⁵ He ^(AGG)split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them plenty to drink like the ocean depths.
¹⁶ He ^(AGH)brought forth streams from the rock
And made waters run down like rivers.

¹⁷ Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To ^(AGI)rebel against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸ And in their heart they ^(AGJ)put God to the test
By asking for ^(AGK)food ^[mm]that suited their taste.
¹⁹ Then they spoke against God;
They said, “^(AGL)Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ Behold, He ^(AGM)struck the rock so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He also provide bread?
Will He prepare ^(AGN)meat for His people?”

²¹ Therefore the Lord heard and ^[mn]was ^(AGO)full of wrath;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also mounted against Israel,
²² Because they ^(AGP)did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.
²³ Yet He commanded the clouds above
And ^(AGQ)opened the doors of heaven;
²⁴ He ^(AGR)rained down manna upon them to eat,
And gave them ^[mo](AGS)food from heaven.
²⁵ Man ate the bread of ^[mp]angels;
He sent them ^[mq]food ^[mr](AGT)in abundance.
²⁶ He ^(AGU)made the east wind blow in the sky
And by His ^[ms]power He directed the south wind.
²⁷ When He rained meat upon them like the dust,
Even ^(AGV)winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
²⁸ He let them fall in the midst of ^[mt]their camp,
All around their dwellings.
²⁹ So they ^(AGW)ate and were well filled,
And He ^[mu]satisfied their longing.
^30 [mv]Yet before they had abandoned their longing,
^(AGX)While their food was in their mouths,
³¹ The ^(AGY)anger of God rose against them
And killed ^[mw]some of their ^(AGZ)strongest ones,
And ^[mx]subdued the choice men of Israel.
³² In spite of all this they ^(AHA)still sinned
And ^(AHB)did not believe in His wonderful works.
³³ So He brought ^(AHC)their days to an end in futility,
And their years to an end in sudden terror.

³⁴ When He killed them, then they ^(AHD)sought Him,
And they returned and searched ^(AHE)diligently for God;
³⁵ And they remembered that God was their ^(AHF)rock,
And the Most High God their ^(AHG)Redeemer.
³⁶ But they ^(AHH)flattered Him with their mouth
And ^(AHI)lied to Him with their tongue.
³⁷ For their heart was not ^(AHJ)steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful with His covenant.
³⁸ But He, being ^(AHK)compassionate, ^[my](AHL)forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them;
And often He ^[mz](AHM)restrained His anger
And did not stir up all His wrath.
³⁹ So ^(AHN)He remembered that they were only ^(AHO)flesh,
A ^[na](AHP)wind that passes and does not return.

⁴⁰ How often they ^(AHQ)rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And ^(AHR)grieved Him in the ^(AHS)desert!
⁴¹ Again and again they ^[nb](AHT)tempted God,
And pained the ^(AHU)Holy One of Israel.
⁴² They ^(AHV)did not remember ^(AHW)His ^[nc]power,
The day when He ^(AHX)redeemed them from the enemy,
⁴³ When He performed His ^(AHY)signs in Egypt
And His ^(AHZ)marvels in the field of Zoan,
⁴⁴ And ^(AIA)turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink.
⁴⁵ He sent swarms of ^(AIB)flies among them that devoured them,
And ^(AIC)frogs that destroyed them.
⁴⁶ He also gave their crops to the ^(AID)grasshopper
And the product of their labor to the ^(AIE)locust.
⁴⁷ He ^[nd]destroyed their vines with ^(AIF)hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.
⁴⁸ He also turned their ^(AIG)cattle over to the hailstones,
And their herds to bolts of lightning.
⁴⁹ He ^(AIH)sent His burning anger upon them,
Fury and indignation and trouble,
A band of ^[ne]destroying angels.
⁵⁰ He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not spare their souls from death,
But ^(AII)turned their lives over to the plague,
⁵¹ And ^(AIJ)struck all the firstborn in Egypt,
The ^(AIK)first and best of their vigor in the tents of ^(AIL)Ham.
⁵² But He ^(AIM)led His own people out like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness ^(AIN)like a flock;
⁵³ He led them ^(AIO)safely, so that they did not fear;
But ^(AIP)the sea engulfed their enemies.

⁵⁴ So ^(AIQ)He brought them to His holy ^[nf]land,
To this ^[ng](AIR)hill country ^(AIS)which His right hand had gained.
⁵⁵ He also ^(AIT)drove out the nations from them
And ^(AIU)apportioned them as an inheritance by measurement,
And had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
⁵⁶ Yet they ^[nh](AIV)tempted and ^(AIW)rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies,
⁵⁷ But turned back and ^(AIX)acted treacherously like their fathers;
They ^(AIY)turned aside like a treacherous bow.
⁵⁸ For they ^(AIZ)provoked Him with their ^(AJA)high places
And ^(AJB)moved Him to jealousy with their ^(AJC)carved images.
⁵⁹ When God heard them, He ^[ni]was filled with ^(AJD)wrath
And He utterly ^(AJE)rejected Israel;
⁶⁰ So that He ^(AJF)abandoned the ^(AJG)dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent ^[nj]which He had pitched among people,
⁶¹ And He gave up His ^(AJH)strength to captivity
And His glory ^(AJI)into the hand of the enemy.
⁶² He also ^(AJJ)turned His people over to the sword,
And ^[nk]was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
^63 (AJK)Fire devoured ^[nl]His young men,
And ^[nm]His ^(AJL)virgins had no wedding songs.
^64 [nn]His ^(AJM)priests fell by the sword,
And ^[no]His ^(AJN)widows could not weep.

⁶⁵ Then the Lord ^(AJO)awoke as if from sleep,
Like a ^(AJP)warrior ^[np]overcome by wine.
⁶⁶ He ^[nq](AJQ)drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting disgrace.
⁶⁷ He also ^(AJR)rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
⁶⁸ But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount ^(AJS)Zion, which He loved.
⁶⁹ And He ^(AJT)built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
⁷⁰ He also ^(AJU)chose His servant David
And took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹ From ^[nr](AJV)the care of the ^[ns]ewes ^(AJW)with nursing lambs He brought him
To ^(AJX)shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel ^(AJY)His inheritance.
⁷² So he shepherded them according to the ^(AJZ)integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands.