Psalm 82-84

New International Reader's Version

A psalm of Asaph.

82 God takes his place at the head of a large gathering of leaders.
He announces his decisions among them.

²He says, “How long will you stand up for those who aren’t fair to others?
    How long will you show mercy to sinful people?
³Stand up for the weak and for children whose fathers have died.
    Protect the rights of people who are poor or treated badly.
⁴Save those who are weak and needy.
    Save them from the power of sinful people.

⁵“You leaders don’t know anything.
You don’t understand anything.
You are in the dark about what is right.
Law and order have been destroyed all over the world.

⁶“I said, ‘You leaders are like gods.
You are all children of the Most High God.’
⁷But you will die, like mere human beings.
You will die like every other leader.”

⁸God, rise up. Judge the earth.
All the nations belong to you.

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

83 God, don’t remain silent.
    Don’t refuse to listen.
    Do something, God.
²See how your enemies are growling like dogs.
    See how they are rising up against you.
³They make clever plans against your people.
    They make evil plans against those you love.
⁴“Come,” they say. “Let’s destroy that whole nation.
    Then the name of Israel won’t be remembered anymore.”

⁵All of them agree on the evil plans they have made.
    They join forces against you.
⁶Their forces include the people of Edom,
    Ishmael, Moab and Hagar.
⁷They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,
    Philistia and Tyre.
⁸Even Assyria has joined them
    to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon.

⁹Do to them what you did to the people of Midian.
    Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
¹⁰Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor.
    Their bodies were left on the ground like human waste.
¹¹Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb.
    Do to all their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.
¹²They said, “Let’s take over
    the grasslands that belong to God.”

¹³My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away.
    Make them like tumbleweed.
¹⁴Destroy them as fire burns up a forest.
    Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.
¹⁵Chase them with your mighty winds.
    Terrify them with your storm.
¹⁶Lord, put them to shame
    so that they will seek you.

¹⁷May they always be filled with terror and shame.
May they die in dishonor.
¹⁸May you, the Lord, let your enemies know who you are.
You alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

84 Lord who rules over all,
    how lovely is the place where you live!
²I can’t wait to be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple.
    I really want to be there.
My whole being cries out
    for the living God.

³Lord who rules over all,
    even the sparrow has found a home near your altar.
My King and my God,
    the swallow also has a nest there,
    where she may have her young.
⁴Blessed are those who live in your house.
    They are always praising you.

⁵Blessed are those whose strength comes from you.
    They have firmly decided to travel to your temple.
⁶As they pass through the dry Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place where water flows.
    The rain in the fall covers it with pools.
⁷Those people get stronger as they go along,
    until each of them appears in Zion, where God lives.

⁸Lord God who rules over all, hear my prayer.
God of the people of Jacob, listen to me.
⁹God, may you be pleased with your anointed king.
You appointed him to be like a shield that keeps us safe.

¹⁰A single day in your courtyards is better
    than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather guard the door of the house of my God
    than live in the tents of sinful people.
¹¹The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light.
    He is like a shield that keeps us safe.
    The Lord blesses us with favor and honor.
He doesn’t hold back anything good
    from those whose lives are without blame.