Psalm 107-136

Contemporary English Version

⁴ Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
    far from a town.
⁵ You were hungry and thirsty
    and about to give up.
⁶ You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
⁷ At once he brought you
    to a town.
⁸ You should praise the Lord
    for his love
and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.
⁹ To everyone who is thirsty,
    he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
    he gives good things to eat.

¹⁰ Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness
    and bound by chains,
¹¹ because you had rebelled
against God Most High
    and refused his advice.
¹² You were worn out
from working like slaves,
    and no one came to help.
¹³ You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
¹⁴ He brought you out
of the deepest darkness
    and broke your chains.

¹⁵ You should praise the Lord
    for his love
and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.
¹⁶ He breaks down bronze gates
    and shatters iron locks.

¹⁷ Some of you had foolishly
committed a lot of sins
    and were in terrible pain.
¹⁸ The very thought of food
was disgusting to you,
    and you were almost dead.
¹⁹ You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
²⁰ By the power of his own word,
he healed you and saved you
    from destruction.

²¹ You should praise the Lord
    for his love
and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.
²² You should celebrate
    by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs
    to tell what he has done.

²³ Some of you made a living
    by sailing the mighty sea,
²⁴ and you saw the miracles
    the Lord performed there.
²⁵ At his command a storm arose,
    and waves covered the sea.
²⁶ You were tossed to the sky
    and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad
    that you lost your courage.
²⁷ You staggered like drunkards
    and gave up all hope.
²⁸ You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
    and he rescued you.
²⁹ He made the storm stop
    and the sea be quiet.
³⁰ You were happy because of this,
and he brought you to the port
    where you wanted to go.

³¹ You should praise the Lord
    for his love
and for the wonderful things
    he does for all of us.
³² Honor the Lord
when you and your leaders
    meet to worship.

³³ If you start doing wrong,
the Lord will turn rivers
    into deserts,
^34 (B) flowing streams
    into scorched land,
and fruitful fields
    into beds of salt.

³⁵ But the Lord can also turn
    deserts into lakes
and scorched land
    into flowing streams.
³⁶ If you are hungry,
you can settle there
    and build a town.
³⁷ You can plant fields
and vineyards that produce
    a good harvest.
³⁸ The Lord will bless you
with many children
    and with herds of cattle.

³⁹ Sometimes you may be crushed
    by troubles and sorrows,
until only a few of you
    are left to survive.
⁴⁰ But the Lord will take revenge
    on those who conquer you,
and he will make them wander
    across desert sands.
⁴¹ When you are suffering
    and in need,
he will come to your rescue,
and your families will grow
    as fast as a herd of sheep.
⁴² You will see this because
    you obey the Lord,
but everyone who is wicked
    will be silenced.

⁴³ Be wise! Remember this
and think about the kindness
    of the Lord.

⁵ Our God, may you be honored
    above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.
⁶ Answer my prayers
and use your powerful arm
    to give us victory.
Then the people you love
    will be safe.

⁷ Our God, from your holy place
    you made this promise:
“I will gladly divide up
    the city of Shechem
and give away Succoth Valley
    piece by piece.
⁸ The lands of Gilead
    and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is my war helmet,
and Judah is my symbol
    of royal power.
⁹ Moab is merely my washbasin,
    and Edom belongs to me.
I shout with victory
    over the Philistines.”

¹⁰ Our God, who will bring me
to the fortress
    or lead me to Edom?
¹¹ Have you rejected us?
    You don't lead our armies.
¹² Help us defeat our enemies!
    No one else can rescue us.
¹³ Only you give us victory
    and crush our enemies.

⁶ My enemies said,
“Find some worthless fools
    to accuse him of a crime.
⁷ Try him and find him guilty!
    Consider his prayers a lie.
^8 (C) Cut his life short
and let someone else
    have his job.
⁹ Make orphans of his children
    and a widow of his wife;
¹⁰ make his children beg for food
    and live in the slums.

¹¹ “Let the people he owes
take everything he owns.
    Give it all to strangers.
¹² Don't let anyone be kind to him
or have pity on the children
    he leaves behind.
¹³ Bring an end to his family,
and from now on let him be
    a forgotten man.

¹⁴ “Don't let the Lord forgive
the sins of his parents
    and his ancestors.
¹⁵ Don't let the Lord forget
    the sins of his family,
or let anyone remember
    his family ever lived.
¹⁶ He was so cruel to the poor,
homeless, and discouraged
    that they died young.

¹⁷ “He cursed others.
    Now place a curse on him!
He never wished others well.
    Wish only trouble for him!
¹⁸ He cursed others more often
    than he dressed himself.
Let his curses strike him deep,
just as water and olive oil
    soak through to our bones.
¹⁹ Let his curses surround him,
just like the belt and clothes
    he wears each day.”

²⁰ Those are the cruel things
my enemies wish for me.
    Let it all happen to them!
²¹ Be true to your name, Lord God!
Show your great kindness
    and rescue me.

²² I am poor and helpless,
    and I have lost all hope.
²³ I am fading away
    like an evening shadow;
I am tossed aside
    like a crawling insect.
²⁴ I have gone without eating,^[c]
until my knees are weak,
    and my body is bony.
^25 (D) When my enemies see me,
they say cruel things
    and shake their heads.

²⁶ Please help me, Lord God!
Come and save me
    because of your love.
²⁷ Let others know that you alone
    have saved me.
²⁸ I don't care if they curse me,
    as long as you bless me.
You will make my enemies fail
    when they attack,
and you will make me glad
    to be your servant.
²⁹ You will cover them with shame,
just as their bodies
    are covered with clothes.

³⁰ I will sing your praises
and thank you, Lord,
    when your people meet.
³¹ You help everyone in need,
    and you save them from death.

² The Lord will let your power
    reach out from Zion,
and you will rule
    over your enemies.
³ Your glorious power
will be seen on the day
    you begin to rule.
You will wear the sacred robes
and shine like the morning sun
    in all of your strength.^[e]
4 (F) The Lord has made a promise
    that will never be broken:
“You will be a priest forever,
    just like Melchizedek.”

⁵ The Lord is at your right side,
    and when he gets angry
he will crush
    the other kings.
⁶ He will judge the nations
    and crack their skulls,
leaving piles of dead bodies
    all over the earth.
⁷ He will drink from any stream
that he chooses, while winning
    victory after victory.^[f]

⁴ The Lord God is famous
for his wonderful deeds,
    and he is kind and merciful.
⁵ He gives food to his worshipers
and always keeps his agreement
    with them.
⁶ He has shown his mighty power
    to his people
and has given them the lands
    of other nations.

⁷ God is always honest and fair,
    and his laws can be trusted.
⁸ They are true and right
    and will stand forever.
⁹ God rescued his people,
    and he will never break
his agreement with them.
    He is fearsome and holy.

^10 (G) Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the first step
    to wisdom and good sense.^[g]
God will always be respected.

⁵ Life will go well for those
who freely lend
    and are honest in business.
⁶ They won't ever be troubled,
and the kind things they do
    will never be forgotten.
⁷ Bad news won't bother them;
they have decided
    to trust the Lord.
⁸ They are dependable
    and not afraid,
and they will live to see
    their enemies defeated.
^9 (H) They will always be remembered
    and greatly praised,
because they were kind
    and freely gave to the poor.
¹⁰ When evil people see this,
they angrily bite their tongues
    and disappear.
They will never get
    what they really want.

² Let the name of the Lord
    be praised now and forever.
³ From dawn until sunset
the name of the Lord
    deserves to be praised.
⁴ The Lord is far above
    all of the nations;
he is more glorious
    than the heavens.

⁵ No one can compare
    with the Lord our God.
His throne is high above,
⁶ and he looks down to see
    the heavens and the earth.
⁷ God lifts the poor and needy
    from dust and ashes,
⁸ and he lets them take part
    in ruling his people.
⁹ When a wife has no children,
    he blesses her with some,
and she is happy.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

^3 (J) When the sea looked at God,
    it ran away,
and the Jordan River
    flowed upstream.
⁴ The mountains and the hills
    skipped around like goats.

⁵ Ask the sea why it ran away
or ask the Jordan
    why it flowed upstream.
⁶ Ask the mountains and the hills
    why they skipped like goats!

⁷ Earth, you will tremble,
when the Lord God of Jacob
    comes near,
^8 (K) because he turns solid rock
into flowing streams
    and pools of water.

³ Our God is in the heavens,
    doing as he chooses.
^4 (M) The idols of the nations
    are made of silver and gold.
⁵ They have a mouth and eyes,
    but they can't speak or see.
⁶ Their ears can't hear,
    and their noses can't smell.
⁷ Their hands have no feeling,
their legs don't move,
    and they can't make a sound.
⁸ Everyone who made the idols
    and all who trust them
are just as helpless
    as those useless gods.

⁹ People of Israel,
you must trust the Lord
    to help and protect you.
¹⁰ Family of Aaron the priest,
you must trust the Lord
    to help and protect you.
¹¹ All of you worship the Lord,
so you must trust him
    to help and protect you.

¹² The Lord will not forget
    to give us his blessing;
he will bless all of Israel
    and the family of Aaron.
^13 (N) All who worship the Lord,
no matter who they are,
    will receive his blessing.

¹⁴ I pray that the Lord
    will let your family
and your descendants
    always grow strong.
¹⁵ May the Lord who created
the heavens and the earth
    give you his blessing.

¹⁶ The Lord has kept the heavens
    for himself,
but he has given the earth
    to us humans.
¹⁷ The dead are silent
    and cannot praise the Lord,
¹⁸ but we will praise him
now and forevermore.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

⁵ You are kind, Lord,
    so good and merciful.
⁶ You protect ordinary people,
and when I was helpless,
    you saved me
⁷ and treated me so kindly
that I don't need
    to worry anymore.

⁸ You, Lord, have saved
    my life from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
⁹ Now I will walk at your side
    in this land of the living.
^10 (O) I was faithful to you
    when I was suffering,
¹¹ though in my confusion I said,
    “I can't trust anyone!”

¹² What must I give you, Lord,
    for being so good to me?
¹³ I will pour out an offering
    of wine to you,
and I will pray in your name
because you
    have saved me.
¹⁴ I will keep my promise to you
    when your people meet.
¹⁵ You are deeply concerned
when one of your loyal people
    faces death.

¹⁶ I worship you, Lord,
    just as my mother did,
and you have rescued me
    from the chains of death.
¹⁷ I will offer you a sacrifice
to show how grateful I am,
    and I will pray.
¹⁸ I will keep my promise to you
    when your people
¹⁹ gather at your temple
in Jerusalem.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

² Let Israel shout,
    “God is always merciful!”
³ Let the family of Aaron
the priest shout,
    “God is always merciful!”
⁴ Let every true worshiper
of the Lord shout,
    “God is always merciful!”

⁵ When I was really hurting,
    I prayed to the Lord.
He answered my prayer,
    and took my worries away.
^6 (R) The Lord is on my side,
and I am not afraid
    of what others can do to me.
⁷ With the Lord on my side,
I will defeat
    my hateful enemies.
⁸ It is better to trust the Lord
    for protection
than to trust anyone else,
⁹     including strong leaders.

¹⁰ Nations surrounded me,
but I got rid of them
    by the power of the Lord.
¹¹ They attacked from all sides,
but I got rid of them
    by the power of the Lord.
¹² They swarmed around like bees,
but by the power of the Lord,
    I got rid of them
    and their fiery sting.
¹³ Their attacks were so fierce
that I nearly fell,
    but the Lord helped me.
^14 (S) My power and my strength
come from the Lord,
    and he has saved me.

¹⁵ From the tents of God's people
come shouts of victory:
    “The Lord is powerful!
¹⁶ With his mighty arm
the Lord wins victories!
    The Lord is powerful!”

¹⁷ And so my life is safe,
and I will live to tell
    what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ He punished me terribly,
but he did not let death
    lay its hands on me.

¹⁹ Open the gates of justice!
I will enter and tell the Lord
    how thankful I am.

²⁰ Here is the gate of the Lord!
Everyone who does right
    may enter this gate.

²¹ I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
    and saving me.
^22 (T)(U) The stone that the builders
    tossed aside
has now become
    the most important stone.

²³ The Lord has done this,
    and it is amazing to us.
²⁴ This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate
    and be glad today.
^25 (V) We'll ask the Lord to save us!
We'll sincerely ask the Lord
    to let us win.

^26 (W) God bless the one who comes
    in the name of the Lord!
We praise you from here
    in the house of the Lord.

²⁷ The Lord is our God,
    and he has given us light!
Start the celebration!
March with palm branches
    all the way to the altar.^[h]

²⁸ The Lord is my God!
I will praise him and tell him
    how thankful I am.

²⁹ Tell the Lord
    how thankful you are,
because he is kind
    and always merciful.

⁹ Young people can live
a clean life
    by obeying your word.
¹⁰ I worship you
    with all my heart.
Don't let me walk away
    from your commands.
¹¹ I treasure your word
    above all else;
it keeps me from sinning
    against you.
¹² I praise you, Lord!
    Teach me your laws.
¹³ With my own mouth,
I tell others the laws
    that you have spoken.
¹⁴ Obeying your instructions
brings as much happiness
    as being rich.
¹⁵ I will study your teachings
    and follow your footsteps.
¹⁶ I will take pleasure
in your laws
    and remember your words.

¹⁷ Treat me with kindness, Lord,
so that I may live
    and do what you say.
¹⁸ Open my mind
and let me discover
    the wonders of your Law.
¹⁹ I live here as a stranger.
Don't keep me from knowing
    your commands.
²⁰ What I want most
and at all times
    is to honor your laws.
²¹ You punish those boastful,
worthless nobodies who turn
    from your commands.
²² Don't let them sneer
and insult me
    for following you.
²³ I keep thinking about
    your teachings, Lord,
even if rulers plot
    against me.
²⁴ Your laws are my greatest joy!
    I follow their advice.

²⁵ I am at the point of death.
Let your teachings
    breathe new life into me.
²⁶ When I told you my troubles,
you answered my prayers.
    Now teach me your laws.
²⁷ Help me to understand
    your teachings,
and I will think about
    your marvelous deeds.
²⁸ I am overcome with sorrow.
Encourage me,
    as you have promised to do.
²⁹ Keep me from being deceitful,
and be kind enough
    to teach me your Law.
³⁰ I am determined to be faithful
    and to respect your laws.
³¹ I follow your rules, Lord.
    Don't let me be ashamed.
³² I am eager to learn all
that you want me to do;
    help me to understand more.

³³ Point out your rules, Lord,
and I won't disobey
    even one of them.
³⁴ Help me to understand your Law;
I promise to obey it
    with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me by your commands!
    I love to do what you say.
³⁶ Make me want to obey you,
    rather than to be rich.
³⁷ Take away my foolish desires,
and let me find life
    by walking with you.
³⁸ I am your servant!
Do for me what you promised
    to those who worship you.
³⁹ Your wonderful teachings
protect me from the insults
    that I hate so much.
⁴⁰ I long for your teachings.
Be true to yourself
    and let me live.

⁴¹ Show me your love
and save me, Lord,
    as you have promised.
⁴² Then I will have an answer
for everyone who insults me
    for trusting your word.
⁴³ I rely on your laws!
Don't take away my chance
    to speak your truth.
⁴⁴ I will keep obeying your Law
    forever and ever.
⁴⁵ I have gained perfect freedom
    by following your teachings,
⁴⁶ and I trust them so much
    that I tell them to kings.
⁴⁷ I love your commands!
    They bring me happiness.
⁴⁸ I love and respect them
    and will keep them in mind.

⁴⁹ Don't forget your promise
to me, your servant.
    I depend on it.
⁵⁰ When I am hurting,
I find comfort in your promise
    that leads to life.
⁵¹ Conceited people sneer at me,
    but I obey your Law.
⁵² I find true comfort, Lord,
because your laws have stood
    the test of time.
⁵³ I get furious when evil people
    turn against your Law.
⁵⁴ No matter where I am,
your teachings
    fill me with songs.
⁵⁵ Even in the night
I think about you, Lord,
    and I obey your Law.
⁵⁶ You have blessed me
because I have always followed
    your teachings.

⁵⁷ You, Lord, are my choice,
    and I will obey you.
⁵⁸ With all my heart
I beg you to be kind to me,
    just as you have promised.
⁵⁹ I pay careful attention
as you lead me,
    and I follow closely.
⁶⁰ As soon as you command,
    I do what you say.
⁶¹ Evil people may set a trap,
    but I obey your Law.
⁶² Your laws are so fair
that I wake up and praise you
    in the middle of the night.
⁶³ I choose as my friends
everyone who worships you
    and follows your teachings.
⁶⁴ Our Lord, your love is seen
all over the world.
    Teach me your laws.

⁶⁵ I am your servant, Lord,
and you have kept your promise
    to treat me with kindness.
⁶⁶ Give me wisdom and good sense.
    I trust your commands.
⁶⁷ Once you corrected me
for not obeying you,
    but now I do obey.
⁶⁸ You are kindhearted,
and you do good things,
    so teach me your laws.
⁶⁹ My reputation is being ruined
    by conceited liars,
but with all my heart
    I follow your teachings.
⁷⁰ Those liars have no sense,
but I find happiness
    in your Law.
⁷¹ When you corrected me,
    it did me good
because it taught me
    to study your laws.
⁷² I would rather obey you
than to have a thousand pieces
    of silver and gold.

⁷³ You created me
    and put me together.
Make me wise enough to learn
    what you have commanded.
⁷⁴ Your worshipers will see me,
and they will be glad
    that I trust your word.
⁷⁵ Your decisions are correct,
and you were right
    to punish me.
⁷⁶ I serve you, Lord.
Comfort me with your love,
    just as you have promised.
⁷⁷ I love to obey your Law!
    Have mercy and let me live.
⁷⁸ Put down those proud people
    who hurt me with their lies,
because I have chosen
    to study your teachings.
⁷⁹ Let your worshipers come to me,
so they will learn
    to obey your rules.
⁸⁰ Let me truly respect your laws,
    so I won't be ashamed.

⁸¹ I long for you to rescue me!
    Your word is my only hope.
⁸² I am worn out from waiting
for you to keep your word.
    When will you have mercy?
⁸³ My life is wasting away
    like a dried-up wineskin,^[i]
but I have not forgotten
    your teachings.
⁸⁴ I am your servant!
    How long must I suffer?
When will you punish
    those troublemakers?
⁸⁵ Those proud people reject
    your teachings,
and they dig pits
    for me to fall in.
⁸⁶ Your laws can be trusted!
    Protect me from cruel liars.
⁸⁷ They have almost killed me,
but I have been faithful
    to your teachings.
⁸⁸ Show that you love me
    and let me live,
so that I may obey
    your commands.

⁸⁹ Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
    as the heavens.^[j]
90 You remain faithful
    in every generation,
and the earth you created
    will keep standing firm.
⁹¹ All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
    are still in effect today.
⁹² If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
    I would have died in misery.
⁹³ I won't ever forget
    your teachings,
because you give me new life
    when I follow them.
⁹⁴ I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
    so keep me safe.
⁹⁵ Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
    but I obey your rules.
⁹⁶ Nothing is completely perfect,
    except your teachings.

⁹⁷ I deeply love your Law!
    I think about it all day.
⁹⁸ Your laws never leave my mind,
and they make me much wiser
    than my enemies.
⁹⁹ Thinking about your teachings
gives me better understanding
    than my teachers,
¹⁰⁰ and obeying your laws
makes me wiser than those
    who have lived a long time.
¹⁰¹ I obey your word
instead of following a way
    that leads to trouble.
¹⁰² You have been my teacher,
and I won't reject
    your instructions.
¹⁰³ Your teachings are sweeter
    than honey.
¹⁰⁴ They give me understanding
    and make me hate all lies.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp
that gives light
    wherever I walk.
¹⁰⁶ Your laws are fair,
and I have given my word
    to respect them all.
¹⁰⁷ I am in terrible pain!
Save me, Lord,
    as you have promised.
¹⁰⁸ Accept my offerings of praise
    and teach me your laws.
¹⁰⁹ I never forget your teachings,
although my life is always
    in danger.
¹¹⁰ Some merciless people
    are trying to trap me,
but I never turn my back
    on your teachings.
¹¹¹ They will always be
my most prized possession
    and my source of joy.
¹¹² I have made up my mind
to obey your laws forever,
    no matter what.

¹¹³ I hate anyone
whose loyalty is divided,
    but I love your Law.
¹¹⁴ You are my place of safety
and my shield.
    Your word is my only hope.

¹¹⁵ All you worthless people,
    get away from me!
I am determined to obey
    the commands of my God.

¹¹⁶ Be true to your word, Lord.
    Keep me alive and strong;
don't let me be ashamed
    because of my hope.
¹¹⁷ Keep me safe and secure,
so that I will always
    respect your laws.
¹¹⁸ You reject all deceitful liars
because they refuse
    your teachings.
¹¹⁹ As far as you are concerned,
evil people are^[k] garbage,
    and so I follow your rules.
¹²⁰ I tremble all over
when I think of you
    and the way you judge.

¹²¹ I did what was fair and right!
Don't hand me over to those
    who want to mistreat me.
¹²² Take good care of me,
    your servant,
and don't let me be harmed
    by those conceited people.
¹²³ My eyes are weary from waiting
to see you keep your promise
    to come and save me.
¹²⁴ Show your love for me,
your servant,
    and teach me your laws.
¹²⁵ I serve you,
so let me understand
    your teachings.
¹²⁶ Do something, Lord!
    They have broken your Law.
¹²⁷ Your laws mean more to me
    than the finest gold.
¹²⁸ I follow all your commands,^[l]
but I hate anyone
    who leads me astray.

¹²⁹ Your teachings are wonderful,
    and I respect them all.
¹³⁰ Understanding your word
brings light to the minds
    of ordinary people.
¹³¹ I honestly want to know
    everything you teach.
¹³² Think about me and be kind,
just as you are to everyone
    who loves your name.
¹³³ Keep your promise
and don't let me stumble
    or let sin control my life.
¹³⁴ Protect me from abuse,
    so I can obey your laws.
¹³⁵ Smile on me, your servant,
    and teach me your laws.
¹³⁶ When anyone disobeys you,
    my eyes overflow with tears.

¹³⁷ Our Lord, you always do right,
    and your decisions are fair.
¹³⁸ All your teachings are true
    and trustworthy.
¹³⁹ It upsets me greatly
when my enemies neglect
    your teachings.
¹⁴⁰ Your word to me, your servant,
is like pure gold;
    I treasure what you say.
¹⁴¹ Everyone calls me a nobody,
    but I remember your laws.
¹⁴² You will always do right,
    and your teachings are true.
¹⁴³ I am in deep distress,
    but I love your teachings.
¹⁴⁴ Your rules are always fair.
Help me to understand them
    and live.

¹⁴⁵ I pray to you, Lord!
Please answer me.
    I promise to obey your laws.
¹⁴⁶ I beg you to save me,
    so I can follow your rules.
¹⁴⁷ Even before sunrise,
    I pray for your help,
and I put my hope
    in what you have said.
¹⁴⁸ I lie awake at night,
    thinking of your promises.
¹⁴⁹ Show that you love me, Lord,
    and answer my prayer.
Please do the right thing
    and save my life.
¹⁵⁰ People who disobey your Law
have made evil plans
    and want to hurt me,
¹⁵¹ but you are with me,
and all your commands
    can be trusted.
¹⁵² From studying your laws,
I found out long ago
    you made them to last forever.

¹⁵³ I have not forgotten your Law!
Look at the trouble I am in,
    and rescue me.
¹⁵⁴ Be my defender and protector!
Remember your promise
    and save my life.
¹⁵⁵ Evil people won't obey you,
and so they have no hope
    of being saved.
¹⁵⁶ You are merciful, Lord!
Please do the right thing
    and save my life.
¹⁵⁷ I have a lot of brutal enemies,
but still I never turn
    from your laws.
¹⁵⁸ Those unfaithful people
who refuse to obey you
    are disgusting to me.
¹⁵⁹ Remember how I love your laws,
and show your love for me
    by keeping me safe.
¹⁶⁰ All you say can be trusted;
your teachings are true
    and will last forever.

¹⁶¹ Rulers are cruel to me
    for no reason.
But with all my heart
    I respect your words,
¹⁶² because they bring happiness
    like treasures taken in war.
¹⁶³ I can't stand liars,
    but I love your Law.
¹⁶⁴ I praise you seven times a day
    because your laws are fair.
¹⁶⁵ You give peace of mind
to all who love your Law.
    Nothing can make them fall.
¹⁶⁶ You are my only hope
for being saved, Lord,
    and I do all you command.
¹⁶⁷ I love and obey your laws
    with all my heart.
¹⁶⁸ You know everything I do.
You know I respect every law
    you have given.

¹⁶⁹ Please, Lord, hear my prayer
and give me the understanding
    that comes from your word.
¹⁷⁰ Listen to my concerns
and keep me safe,
    just as you have promised.
¹⁷¹ If you will teach me your laws,
I will praise you ¹⁷² and sing
    about your promise,
because all your teachings
    are what they ought to be.
¹⁷³ Be ready to protect me
because I have chosen
    to obey your laws.
¹⁷⁴ I am waiting for you
to save me, Lord.
    Your Law makes me happy.
¹⁷⁵ Keep me alive,
    so I can praise you,
and let me find help
    in your teachings.
¹⁷⁶ I am your servant,
but I have wandered away
    like a lost sheep.
Please come after me,
because I have not forgotten
    your teachings.

³ What punishment is fitting
    for you deceitful liars?
⁴ Your reward should be
    sharp and flaming arrows!

⁵ But I must live as a foreigner
among the people of Meshech
    and in the tents of Kedar.^[m]
6 I have spent too much time
living among people
    who hate peace.
⁷ I am in favor of peace,
but when I speak of it,
    all they want is war.

³ The Lord is your protector,
and he won't go to sleep
    or let you stumble.
⁴ The protector of Israel
doesn't doze
    or ever get drowsy.

⁵ The Lord is your protector,
there at your right side
    to shade you from the sun.
⁶ You won't be harmed
by the sun during the day
    or by the moon^[n] at night.

⁷ The Lord will protect you
and keep you safe
    from all dangers.
⁸ The Lord will protect you
now and always
    wherever you go.

³ Jerusalem, what a strong
    and beautiful city you are!
⁴ Every tribe of the Lord
obeys him and comes to you
    to praise his name.
⁵ David's royal throne is here
    where justice rules.

⁶ Jerusalem, we pray
    that you will have peace,
and that all will go well
    for those who love you.
⁷ May there be peace
inside your city walls
    and in your palaces.
⁸ Because of my friends
and my relatives,
    I will pray for peace.
⁹ And because of the house
of the Lord our God,
    I will work for your good.

³ Please have mercy, Lord!
We have been insulted
    more than we can stand,
⁴ and we can't take more abuse
from those proud,
    conceited people.

⁶ Let's praise the Lord!
He protected us from enemies
    who were like wild animals,
⁷ and we escaped like birds
    from a hunter's torn net.

⁸ The Lord made heaven and earth,
and he is the one
    who sends us help.

⁵ When the Lord punishes
    the wicked,
he will punish everyone else
who lives an evil life.
    Pray for peace in Israel!

⁴ Our Lord, we ask you to bless
    our people again,
and let us be like streams
    in the Southern Desert.
⁵ We cried as we went out
    to plant our seeds.
Now let us celebrate
    as we bring in the crops.
⁶ We cried on the way
    to plant our seeds,
but we will celebrate and shout
    as we bring in the crops.

³ Children are a blessing
    and a gift from the Lord.
⁴ Having a lot of children
to take care of you
    in your old age
is like a warrior
    with a lot of arrows.
⁵ The more you have,
    the better off you will be,
because they will protect you
when your enemies
    attack you in court.

⁵ I pray that the Lord
    will bless you from Zion
and let Jerusalem prosper
    as long as you live.
⁶ May you live long enough
    to see your grandchildren.
Let's pray for peace in Israel!

⁴ The Lord always does right,
    and he has set me free
from the ropes
    of those cruel people.
⁵ I pray that all who hate
    the city of Zion
will be made ashamed
    and forced to turn and run.
⁶ May they be like grass
    on the flat roof of a house,
grass that dries up
    as soon as it sprouts.
⁷ Don't let them be like wheat
    gathered in bundles.
⁸ And don't let anyone
who passes by say to them,
    “The Lord bless you!
I give you my blessing
    in the name of the Lord.”

³ If you kept record of our sins,
    no one could last long.
⁴ But you forgive us,
    and so we will worship you.

⁵ With all my heart,
I am waiting, Lord, for you!
    I trust your promises.
⁶ I wait for you more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
    waits for the dawn.
Yes, I wait more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
    waits for the dawn.

⁷ Israel, trust the Lord!
God is always merciful
    and has the power to save you.
^8 (X) Israel, the Lord will save you
    from all your sins.

³ People of Israel,
you must trust the Lord
    now and forever.

^6 (Y) When we were in Ephrath,
we heard that the sacred chest
    was somewhere near Jaar.
⁷ Then we said, “Let's go
to the throne of the Lord
    and worship at his feet.”

⁸ Come to your new home, Lord,
you and the sacred chest
    with all its power.
⁹ Let victory be like robes
    for the priests;
let your faithful people
    celebrate and shout.
¹⁰ David is your chosen one,
    so don't reject him.
^11 (Z) You made a solemn promise
    to David, when you said,
“I, the Lord, promise
that someone in your family
    will always be king.
¹² If they keep our agreement
    and follow my teachings,
then someone in your family
    will rule forever.”

¹³ You have gladly chosen Zion
    as your home, our Lord.
¹⁴ You said, “This is my home!
    I will live here forever.
¹⁵ I will bless Zion with food,
and even the poor will eat
    until they are full.
¹⁶ Victory will be like robes
    for the priests,
and its faithful people
    will celebrate and shout.
^17 (AA) I will give mighty power
    to the kingdom of David.
Each of my chosen kings
will shine like a lamp
¹⁸     and wear a sparkling crown.
But I will disgrace
    their enemies.”

³ The Lord is the Creator
    of heaven and earth,
and I pray that the Lord
    will bless you from Zion.

⁵ The Lord is much greater
    than any other god.
⁶ He does as he chooses
in heaven and on earth
    and deep in the sea.
⁷ The Lord makes the clouds rise
    from far across the earth,
and he makes lightning
    to go with the rain.
Then from his secret place
    he sends out the wind.

⁸ The Lord killed the first-born
of people and animals
    in the land of Egypt.
⁹ God used miracles and wonders
to fight the king of Egypt
    and all of his officials.
¹⁰ He destroyed many nations
    and killed powerful kings,
¹¹ including King Sihon
of the Amorites
    and King Og of Bashan.
He conquered every kingdom
    in the land of Canaan
¹² and gave their property
    to his people Israel.

¹³ The name of the Lord
    will be remembered forever,
and he will be famous
    for all time to come.
¹⁴ The Lord will bring justice
and show mercy to all
    who serve him.

^15 (AB) Idols of silver and gold
are made and worshiped
    in other nations.
¹⁶ They have a mouth and eyes,
    but they can't speak or see.
¹⁷ They are completely deaf,
    and they can't breathe.
¹⁸ Everyone who makes idols
    and all who trust them
will end up as helpless
    as their idols.

¹⁹ Everyone in Israel,
    come praise the Lord!
All the family of Aaron
²⁰ and all the tribe of Levi,^[r]
    come praise the Lord!
All of his worshipers,
    come praise the Lord.
²¹ Praise the Lord from Zion!
He lives here in Jerusalem.
    Shout praises to the Lord!