Psalm 28-32

New International Version

Psalm 28

Of David.

¹To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear^(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,^(B)
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.^(C)
²Hear my cry for mercy^(D)
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands^(E)
    toward your Most Holy Place.^(F)

³Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.^(G)
⁴Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done^(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.^(I)

⁵Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,^(J)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

⁶Praise be to the Lord,^(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.^(L)
⁷The Lord is my strength^(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts^(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,^(O)
    and with my song I praise him.^(P)

⁸The Lord is the strength^(Q) of his people,
a fortress of salvation^(R) for his anointed one.^(S)
⁹Save your people^(T) and bless your inheritance;^(U)
be their shepherd^(V) and carry them^(W) forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹Ascribe to the Lord,^(X) you heavenly beings,^(Y)
ascribe to the Lord glory^(Z) and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness.^(AA)

³The voice^(AB) of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory^(AC) thunders,^(AD)
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.^(AE)
⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;^(AF)
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.^(AG)
⁶He makes Lebanon leap^(AH) like a calf,
    Sirion^[b]^(AI) like a young wild ox.^(AJ)
⁷The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.^(AK)
⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.^(AL)
⁹The voice of the Lord twists the oaks^[c]^(AM)
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”^(AN)

¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;^(AO)
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.^(AP)
¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people;^(AQ)
the Lord blesses his people with peace.^(AR)

Psalm 30^[d]

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.^[e] Of David.

¹I will exalt^(AS) you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths^(AT)
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.^(AU)
²Lord my God, I called to you for help,^(AV)
    and you healed me.^(AW)
³You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;^(AX)
    you spared me from going down to the pit.^(AY)

⁴Sing^(AZ) the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;^(BA)
    praise his holy name.^(BB)
⁵For his anger^(BC) lasts only a moment,^(BD)
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;^(BE)
weeping^(BF) may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.^(BG)

⁶When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”^(BH)
⁷Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain^[f] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,^(BI)
    I was dismayed.

⁸To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹“What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?^(BJ)
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?^(BK)
¹⁰Hear,^(BL) Lord, and be merciful to me;^(BM)
    Lord, be my help.^(BN)”

¹¹You turned my wailing^(BO) into dancing;^(BP)
you removed my sackcloth^(BQ) and clothed me with joy,^(BR)
¹²that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise^(BS) you forever.^(BT)

Psalm 31^[g]^(BU)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;^(BV)
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.^(BW)
²Turn your ear to me,^(BX)
    come quickly to my rescue;^(BY)
be my rock of refuge,^(BZ)
    a strong fortress to save me.
³Since you are my rock and my fortress,^(CA)
    for the sake of your name^(CB) lead and guide me.
⁴Keep me free from the trap^(CC) that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.^(CD)
⁵Into your hands I commit my spirit;^(CE)
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.^(CF)

⁶I hate those who cling to worthless idols;^(CG)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.^(CH)
⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction^(CI)
    and knew the anguish^(CJ) of my soul.
⁸You have not given me into the hands^(CK) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.^(CL)

⁹Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;^(CM)
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,^(CN)
    my soul and body^(CO) with grief.
¹⁰My life is consumed by anguish^(CP)
    and my years by groaning;^(CQ)
my strength fails^(CR) because of my affliction,^[h]^(CS)
    and my bones grow weak.^(CT)
¹¹Because of all my enemies,^(CU)
    I am the utter contempt^(CV) of my neighbors^(CW)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹²I am forgotten as though I were dead;^(CX)
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³For I hear many whispering,^(CY)
    “Terror on every side!”^(CZ)
They conspire against me^(DA)
    and plot to take my life.^(DB)

¹⁴But I trust^(DC) in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵My times^(DD) are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶Let your face shine^(DE) on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.^(DF)
¹⁷Let me not be put to shame,^(DG) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent^(DH) in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸Let their lying lips^(DI) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly^(DJ) against the righteous.

¹⁹How abundant are the good things^(DK)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,^(DL)
    on those who take refuge^(DM) in you.
²⁰In the shelter^(DN) of your presence you hide^(DO) them
    from all human intrigues;^(DP)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

²¹Praise be to the Lord,^(DQ)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love^(DR)
    when I was in a city under siege.^(DS)
²²In my alarm^(DT) I said,
    “I am cut off^(DU) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry^(DV) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

²³Love the Lord, all his faithful people!^(DW)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,^(DX)
    but the proud he pays back^(DY) in full.
²⁴Be strong and take heart,^(DZ)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.^[i]

¹Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.^(EA)
²Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them^(EB)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.^(EC)

³When I kept silent,^(ED)
    my bones wasted away^(EE)
    through my groaning^(EF) all day long.
⁴For day and night
    your hand was heavy^(EG) on me;
my strength was sapped^(EH)
    as in the heat of summer.^[j]

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.^(EI)
I said, “I will confess^(EJ)
    my transgressions^(EK) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.^(EL)

⁶Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;^(EM)
surely the rising^(EN) of the mighty waters^(EO)
    will not reach them.^(EP)
⁷You are my hiding place;^(EQ)
    you will protect me from trouble^(ER)
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.^(ES)

⁸I will instruct^(ET) you and teach you^(EU) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on^(EV) you.
⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle^(EW)
    or they will not come to you.
¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked,^(EX)
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts^(EY) in him.

¹¹Rejoice in the Lord^(EZ) and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Footnotes

Psalm 29:2 Or Lord with the splendor of
Psalm 29:6 That is, Mount Hermon
Psalm 29:9 Or Lord makes the deer give birth
Psalm 30:1 In Hebrew texts 30:1-12 is numbered 30:2-13.
Psalm 30:1 Title: Or palace
Psalm 30:7 That is, Mount Zion
Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.