Bible in 90 Days
Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.
A Psalm of David.
25 To You, O Lord, I (A)lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You (B)I trust,
Do not let me (C)be ashamed;
Do not let my (D)enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, (E)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who (F)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 (G)Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in (H)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the (I)God of my salvation;
For You I (J)wait all the day.
6 (K)Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been [b](L)from of old.
7 Do not remember the (M)sins of my youth or my transgressions;
(N)According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your (O)goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 (P)Good and (Q)upright is the Lord;
Therefore He (R)instructs sinners in the way.
9 He (S)leads the [c]humble in justice,
And He (T)teaches the [d]humble His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are (U)lovingkindness and truth
To (V)those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For (W)Your name’s sake, O Lord,
(X)Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who (Y)fears the Lord?
He will (Z)instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will (AA)abide in [e]prosperity,
And his [f]descendants will (AB)inherit the [g]land.
14 The [h](AC)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
[i]And He will (AD)make them know His covenant.
15 My (AE)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will [j](AF)pluck my feet out of the net.
16 (AG)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am (AH)lonely and afflicted.
17 [k]The (AI)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me (AJ)out of my distresses.
18 (AK)Look upon my affliction and my [l]trouble,
And (AL)forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon my enemies, for they (AM)are many,
And they (AN)hate me with violent hatred.
20 (AO)Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me (AP)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
21 Let (AQ)integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For (AR)I wait for You.
22 (AS)Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
26 [m](AT)Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have (AU)walked in my integrity,
And I have (AV)trusted in the Lord [n](AW)without wavering.
2 (AX)Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
(AY)Test my [o]mind and my heart.
3 For Your (AZ)lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have (BA)walked in Your [p]truth.
4 I do not (BB)sit with [q]deceitful men,
Nor will I go with [r](BC)pretenders.
5 I (BD)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I shall (BE)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about (BF)Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of (BG)thanksgiving
And declare all Your [s]wonders.
8 O Lord, I (BH)love the habitation of Your house
And the place [t]where Your (BI)glory dwells.
9 (BJ)Do not [u]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with (BK)men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a (BL)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (BM)bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall (BN)walk in my integrity;
(BO)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 (BP)My foot stands on a (BQ)level place;
In the (BR)congregations I shall bless the Lord.
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my (BS)light and my (BT)salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the [v](BU)defense of my life;
(BV)Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to (BW)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they (BX)stumbled and fell.
3 Though a (BY)host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I [w]shall be (BZ)confident.
4 (CA)One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may (CB)dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold (CC)the [x]beauty of the Lord
And to [y](CD)meditate in His temple.
5 For in the (CE)day of trouble He will (CF)conceal me in His [z]tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will (CG)hide me;
He will (CH)lift me up on a rock.
6 And now (CI)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent (CJ)sacrifices [aa]with shouts of joy;
I will (CK)sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 (CL)Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and (CM)answer me.
8 When You said, “(CN)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, (CO)I shall seek.”
9 (CP)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in (CQ)anger;
You have been (CR)my help;
(CS)Do not abandon me nor (CT)forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [ab]For my father and (CU)my mother have forsaken me,
But (CV)the Lord will take me up.
11 (CW)Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a (CX)level path
Because of [ac]my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the [ad](CY)desire of my adversaries,
For (CZ)false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as (DA)breathe out violence.
13 [ae]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the (DB)goodness of the Lord
In the (DC)land of the living.
14 (DD)Wait for the Lord;
Be (DE)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, O Lord, I call;
My (DF)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (DG)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (DH)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (DI)voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I (DJ)lift up my hands (DK)toward [af]Your holy (DL)sanctuary.
3 (DM)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who (DN)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Requite them (DO)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their [ag]recompense.
5 Because they (DP)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (DQ)has heard the voice of my supplication.
7 The Lord is my (DR)strength and my (DS)shield;
My heart (DT)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (DU)my heart exults,
And with (DV)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [ah]their (DW)strength,
And He is a [ai](DX)saving defense to His anointed.
9 (DY)Save Your people and bless (DZ)Your inheritance;
Be their (EA)shepherd also, and (EB)carry them forever.
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.
29 (EC)Ascribe to the Lord, O [aj]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [ak]due to His name;
Worship the Lord (ED)in [al]holy array.
3 The (EE)voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory (EF)thunders,
The Lord is over [am](EG)many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is (EH)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces (EI)the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon (EJ)skip like a calf,
And (EK)Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord hews out [an]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [ao]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of (EL)Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes (EM)the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And (EN)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat as King at the (EO)flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as (EP)King forever.
11 [ap]The Lord will give (EQ)strength to His people;
[aq]The Lord will bless His people with (ER)peace.
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death.
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.
30 I will (ES)extol You, O Lord, for You have (ET)lifted me up,
And have not let my (EU)enemies rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God,
I (EV)cried to You for help, and You (EW)healed me.
3 O Lord, You have (EX)brought up my soul from [ar]Sheol;
You have kept me alive, [as]that I would not (EY)go down to the pit.
4 (EZ)Sing praise to the Lord, you (FA)His godly ones,
And (FB)give thanks to His holy [at](FC)name.
5 For (FD)His anger is but for a moment,
His (FE)favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may (FF)last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will (FG)never be moved.”
7 O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You (FH)hid Your face, I was dismayed.
8 To You, O Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my blood, if I (FI)go down to the pit?
Will the (FJ)dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?
10 “(FK)Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my (FL)helper.”
11 You have turned for me (FM)my mourning into dancing;
You have (FN)loosed my sackcloth and girded me with (FO)gladness,
12 That my [au](FP)soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will (FQ)give thanks to You forever.
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
31 (FR)In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never (FS)be ashamed;
(FT)In Your righteousness deliver me.
2 (FU)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a (FV)rock of [av]strength,
A stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my [aw]rock and (FW)my fortress;
For (FX)Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will (FY)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my (FZ)strength.
5 (GA)Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have (GB)ransomed me, O Lord, (GC)God of [ax]truth.
6 I hate those who (GD)regard [ay]vain idols,
But I (GE)trust in the Lord.
7 I will (GF)rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have (GG)seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
8 And You have not (GH)given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for (GI)I am in distress;
My (GJ)eye is wasted away from grief, (GK)my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with (GL)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My (GM)strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And (GN)my [az]body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a (GO)reproach,
Especially to my (GP)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am (GQ)forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the [ba](GR)slander of many,
(GS)Terror is on every side;
While they (GT)took counsel together against me,
They (GU)schemed to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “(GV)You are my God.”
15 My (GW)times are in Your hand;
(GX)Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your (GY)face to shine upon Your servant;
(GZ)Save me in Your lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be (HA)put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the (HB)wicked be put to shame, let them (HC)be silent in [bb]Sheol.
18 Let the (HD)lying lips be mute,
Which (HE)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
19 How great is Your (HF)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who (HG)take refuge in You,
(HH)Before the sons of men!
20 You hide them in the (HI)secret place of Your presence from the (HJ)conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a [bc]shelter from the (HK)strife of tongues.
21 (HL)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made (HM)marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged (HN)city.
22 As for me, (HO)I said in my alarm,
“I am (HP)cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You (HQ)heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.
23 O love the Lord, all you (HR)His godly ones!
The Lord (HS)preserves the faithful
And fully (HT)recompenses the proud doer.
24 (HU)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who [bd]hope in the Lord.
Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David. A [be]Maskil.
32 (HV)How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord (HW)does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is (HX)no deceit!
3 When (HY)I kept silent about my sin, (HZ)my [bf]body wasted away
Through my [bg](IA)groaning all day long.
4 For day and night (IB)Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [bh](IC)vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [bi]Selah.
5 I (ID)acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I (IE)did not hide;
I said, “(IF)I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You (IG)forgave the [bj]guilt of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [bk](IH)in a time when You may be found;
Surely (II)in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are (IJ)my hiding place; You (IK)preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [bl](IL)songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will (IM)instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you (IN)with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be (IO)as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the (IP)sorrows of the wicked,
But (IQ)he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be (IR)glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are (IS)upright in heart.
Praise to the Creator and Preserver.
33 (IT)Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is (IU)becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the (IV)lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a (IW)harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a (IX)new song;
Play skillfully with (IY)a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the Lord (IZ)is upright,
And all His work is done (JA)in faithfulness.
5 He (JB)loves righteousness and justice;
The (JC)earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.
6 By the (JD)word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And (JE)by the breath of His mouth (JF)all their host.
7 He gathers the (JG)waters of the sea together [bm]as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let (JH)all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world (JI)stand in awe of Him.
9 For (JJ)He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it [bn]stood fast.
10 The Lord (JK)nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The (JL)counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The (JM)plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the (JN)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has (JO)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord (JP)looks from heaven;
He (JQ)sees all the sons of men;
14 From (JR)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (JS)fashions [bo]the hearts of them all,
He who (JT)understands all their works.
16 (JU)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A (JV)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (JW)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who [bp](JX)hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To (JY)deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive (JZ)in famine.
20 Our soul (KA)waits for the Lord;
He is our (KB)help and our shield.
21 For our (KC)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have [bq]hoped in You.
The Lord, a Provider and Deliverer.
A Psalm of David when he [br]feigned madness before [bs]Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.
34 I will (KD)bless the Lord at all times;
His (KE)praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will (KF)make its boast in the Lord;
The (KG)humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O (KH)magnify the Lord with me,
And let us (KI)exalt His name together.
4 I (KJ)sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And (KK)delivered me from all my fears.
5 They (KL)looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will (KM)never be ashamed.
6 This [bt]poor man cried, and (KN)the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The (KO)angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O (KP)taste and see that the Lord is good;
How (KQ)blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the Lord, you (KR)His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is (KS)no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall (KT)not be in want of any good thing.
11 (KU)Come, you children, listen to me;
(KV)I will teach you (KW)the fear of the Lord.
12 (KX)Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may (KY)see good?
13 Keep (KZ)your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking (LA)deceit.
14 (LB)Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and (LC)pursue it.
15 The (LD)eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The (LE)face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To (LF)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous (LG)cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord (LH)is near to the (LI)brokenhearted
And saves those who are [bu](LJ)crushed in spirit.
19 (LK)Many are the (LL)afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord (LM)delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
(LN)Not one of them is broken.
21 (LO)Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be [bv]condemned.
22 The Lord (LP)redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who (LQ)take refuge in Him will be [bw]condemned.
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
A Psalm of David.
35 Contend, O Lord, with those who (LR)contend with me;
Fight against those who (LS)fight against me.
2 Take hold of [bx](LT)buckler and shield
And rise up for (LU)my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [by]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (LV)your salvation.”
4 Let those be (LW)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [bz]life;
Let those be (LX)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be (LY)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and (LZ)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For (MA)without cause they (MB)hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a [ca]pit for my soul.
8 Let (MC)destruction come upon him unawares,
And (MD)let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very (ME)destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall (MF)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall (MG)exult in His salvation.
10 All my (MH)bones will say, “Lord, (MI)who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him (MJ)who is too strong for him,
And (MK)the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 (ML)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They (MM)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, (MN)when they were sick, my (MO)clothing was sackcloth;
I (MP)humbled my soul with fasting,
And my (MQ)prayer kept returning to my bosom.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (MR)bowed down [cb]mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
15 But (MS)at my [cc]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The [cd](MT)smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They [ce](MU)slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They (MV)gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, (MW)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul (MX)from their ravages,
My (MY)only life from the lions.
18 I will (MZ)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will (NA)praise You among a mighty throng.
19 (NB)Do not let those who are wrongfully (NC)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those (ND)who hate me without cause [cf](NE)wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise (NF)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They (NG)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “(NH)Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”
22 (NI)You have seen it, O Lord, (NJ)do not keep silent;
O Lord, (NK)do not be far from me.
23 (NL)Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 (NM)Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And (NN)do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “(NO)Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have (NP)swallowed him up!”
26 Let (NQ)those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be (NR)clothed with shame and dishonor who (NS)magnify themselves over me.
27 Let them (NT)shout for joy and rejoice, who favor (NU)my vindication;
And (NV)let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
Who (NW)delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And (NX)my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.
Wickedness of Men and Lovingkindness of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
36 Transgression speaks to the ungodly within [cg]his heart;
There is (NY)no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For [ch]it (NZ)flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.
3 The (OA)words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has (OB)ceased to [ci]be wise and to do good.
4 He (OC)plans wickedness upon his bed;
He sets himself on a (OD)path that is not good;
He (OE)does not despise evil.
5 Your (OF)lovingkindness, O Lord, [cj]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your (OG)righteousness is like the [ck]mountains of God;
Your (OH)judgments are like a great deep.
O Lord, You (OI)preserve man and beast.
7 How (OJ)precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men (OK)take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They (OL)drink their fill of the [cl]abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the (OM)river of Your delights.
9 For with You is the (ON)fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10 O continue Your lovingkindness to (OO)those who know You,
And Your (OP)righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come upon me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the doers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been thrust down and (OQ)cannot rise.
Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.
A Psalm of David.
37 (OR)Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not (OS)envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will (OT)wither quickly like the grass
And (OU)fade like the green herb.
3 (OV)Trust in the Lord and do good;
(OW)Dwell in the land and [cm](OX)cultivate faithfulness.
4 (OY)Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will (OZ)give you the desires of your heart.
5 (PA)Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth (PB)your righteousness as the light
And your judgment (PC)as the noonday.
7 [cn]Rest in the Lord and (PD)wait [co]patiently for Him;
(PE)Do not fret because of him who (PF)prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and (PG)forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For (PH)evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will (PI)inherit the land.
10 Yet (PJ)a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for (PK)his place and he will not be there.
11 But (PL)the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in (PM)abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked (PN)plots against the righteous
And (PO)gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord (PP)laughs at him,
For He sees (PQ)his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and (PR)bent their bow
To cast down the (PS)afflicted and the needy,
To (PT)slay those who are upright in conduct.
15 Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their (PU)bows will be broken.
16 (PV)Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the (PW)arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord (PX)sustains the righteous.
18 The Lord (PY)knows the days of the [cp]blameless,
And their (PZ)inheritance will be forever.
19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And (QA)in the days of famine they will have abundance.
20 But the (QB)wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [cq]glory of the pastures,
They vanish—(QC)like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous (QD)is gracious and gives.
22 For (QE)those blessed by Him will (QF)inherit the land,
But those (QG)cursed by Him will be cut off.
23 (QH)The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He (QI)delights in his way.
24 When (QJ)he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because (QK)the Lord is the One [cr]who holds his hand.
25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet (QL)I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or (QM)his [cs]descendants begging bread.
26 All day long (QN)he is gracious and lends,
And (QO)his [ct]descendants are a blessing.
27 (QP)Depart from evil and do good,
[cu]So you will abide (QQ)forever.
28 For the Lord (QR)loves [cv]justice
And (QS)does not forsake His godly ones;
They are (QT)preserved forever,
But the [cw](QU)descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
29 The righteous will (QV)inherit the land
And (QW)dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous (QX)utters wisdom,
And his tongue (QY)speaks justice.
31 The (QZ)law of his God is in his heart;
His (RA)steps do not slip.
32 The (RB)wicked spies upon the righteous
And (RC)seeks to kill him.
33 The Lord will (RD)not leave him in his hand
Or (RE)let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 (RF)Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the (RG)wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have (RH)seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a (RI)luxuriant [cx]tree in its native soil.
36 Then [cy]he passed away, and lo, he (RJ)was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the [cz](RK)blameless man, and behold the (RL)upright;
For the man of peace will have a [da](RM)posterity.
38 But transgressors will be altogether (RN)destroyed;
The [db]posterity of the wicked will be (RO)cut off.
39 But the (RP)salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength (RQ)in time of trouble.
40 (RR)The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He (RS)delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they (RT)take refuge in Him.
Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.
A Psalm of David, for a memorial.
38 O Lord, (RU)rebuke me not in Your wrath,
And chasten me not in Your burning anger.
2 For Your (RV)arrows have sunk deep into me,
And (RW)Your hand has pressed down on me.
3 There is (RX)no soundness in my flesh (RY)because of Your indignation;
There is no health (RZ)in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my (SA)iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
5 My [dc]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of (SB)my folly.
6 I am bent over and (SC)greatly bowed down;
I (SD)go mourning all day long.
7 For my loins are filled with (SE)burning,
And there is (SF)no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am (SG)benumbed and [dd]badly crushed;
I [de](SH)groan because of the [df]agitation of my heart.
9 Lord, all (SI)my desire is [dg]before You;
And my (SJ)sighing is not hidden from You.
10 My heart throbs, (SK)my strength fails me;
And the (SL)light of my eyes, even [dh]that [di]has gone from me.
11 My [dj](SM)loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen (SN)stand afar off.
12 Those who (SO)seek my life (SP)lay snares for me;
And those who (SQ)seek to injure me have [dk]threatened destruction,
And they (SR)devise treachery all day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a (SS)mute man who does not open his mouth.
14 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.
15 For (ST)I [dl]hope in You, O Lord;
You (SU)will answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, “May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, (SV)would magnify themselves against me.”
17 For I am (SW)ready to fall,
And (SX)my [dm]sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I [dn](SY)confess my iniquity;
I am full of (SZ)anxiety because of my sin.
19 But my (TA)enemies are vigorous and [do]strong,
And many are those who (TB)hate me wrongfully.
20 And those who (TC)repay evil for good,
They (TD)oppose me, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, (TE)do not be far from me!
22 Make (TF)haste to help me,
O Lord, (TG)my salvation!
The Vanity of Life.
For the choir director, for [dp]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will (TH)guard my ways
That I (TI)may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard (TJ)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was (TK)mute [dq]and silent,
I [dr]refrained even from good,
And my [ds]sorrow grew worse.
3 My (TL)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me to know (TM)my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (TN)transient I am.
5 “Behold, You have made (TO)my days as handbreadths,
And my (TP)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man [dt]at his best is [du]a mere (TQ)breath. [dv]Selah.
6 “Surely every man (TR)walks about as [dw]a phantom;
Surely they make an (TS)uproar for nothing;
He (TT)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (TU)hope is in You.
8 “(TV)Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the (TW)reproach of the foolish.
9 “I have become (TX)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (TY)You who have done it.
10 “(TZ)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (UA)the opposition of Your hand I am [dx]perishing.
11 “With (UB)reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You (UC)consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely (UD)every man is a mere breath. Selah.
12 “(UE)Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent (UF)at my tears;
For I am (UG)a stranger with You,
A (UH)sojourner like all my fathers.
13 “(UI)Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may [dy]smile again
Before I depart and am no more.”
God Sustains His Servant.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
40 I (UJ)waited [dz]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and (UK)heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the (UL)pit of destruction, out of the [ea]miry clay,
And (UM)He set my feet upon a rock (UN)making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a (UO)new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will (UP)see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How (UQ)blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And (UR)has not [eb]turned to the proud, nor to those who (US)lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are (UT)the wonders which You have done,
And Your (UU)thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They (UV)would be too numerous to count.
6 [ec](UW)Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have [ed]opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is [ee]written of me.
8 (UX)I delight to do Your will, O my God;
(UY)Your Law is within my heart.”
9 I have (UZ)proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will (VA)not restrain my lips,
O Lord, (VB)You know.
10 I have (VC)not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have (VD)spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[ef]Your (VE)lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have (VF)surrounded me;
My (VG)iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are (VH)more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my (VI)heart has [eg]failed me.
13 (VJ)Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make (VK)haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be (VL)ashamed and humiliated together
Who (VM)seek my [eh]life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [ei]in my hurt.
15 Let those (VN)be [ej]appalled because of their shame
Who (VO)say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 (VP)Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation (VQ)say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since (VR)I am afflicted and needy,
[ek](VS)Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
41 How blessed is he who (VT)considers the [el]helpless;
The Lord will deliver him (VU)in a day of [em]trouble.
2 The Lord will (VV)protect him and keep him alive,
And he shall [en]be called (VW)blessed upon the earth;
And (VX)do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.
3 The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, You [eo]restore him to health.
4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
(VY)Heal my soul, for (VZ)I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies (WA)speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And [ep]when he comes to see me, he (WB)speaks [eq]falsehood;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they (WC)devise my hurt, saying,
8 “A wicked thing is poured out [er]upon him,
That when he lies down, he will (WD)not rise up again.”
9 Even my (WE)close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But You, O Lord, be gracious to me and (WF)raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that (WG)You are pleased with me,
Because (WH)my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, (WI)You uphold me in my integrity,
And You set me (WJ)in Your presence forever.
13 (WK)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir director. A [es]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [et]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [eu](WL)pants for You, O God.
2 My soul (WM)thirsts for God, for the (WN)living God;
When shall I come and [ev](WO)appear before God?
3 My (WP)tears have been my food day and night,
While they (WQ)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I (WR)pour out my soul within me.
For I (WS)used to go along with the throng and [ew]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of (WT)joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 (WU)Why are you [ex](WV)in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become (WW)disturbed within me?
[ey](WX)Hope in God, for I shall [ez]again praise [fa]Him
For the [fb](WY)help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [fc]in despair within me;
Therefore I (WZ)remember You from (XA)the land of the Jordan
And the [fd]peaks of (XB)Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your (XC)breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will (XD)command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me (XE)in the night,
A prayer to (XF)the God of my life.
9 I will say to God (XG)my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go (XH)mourning [fe]because of the (XI)oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they (XJ)say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 (XK)Why are you [ff]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[fg]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The [fh]help of my countenance and my God.
Prayer for Deliverance.
43 (XL)Vindicate me, O God, and (XM)plead my case against an ungodly nation;
[fi]O deliver me from (XN)the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the (XO)God of my strength; why have You (XP)rejected me?
Why do I go (XQ)mourning [fj]because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out Your (XR)light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your (XS)holy hill
And to Your (XT)dwelling places.
4 Then I will go to (XU)the altar of God,
To God [fk]my exceeding (XV)joy;
And upon the (XW)lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
5 (XX)Why are you [fl]in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
[fm]Hope in God, for I shall [fn]again praise Him,
The [fo]help of my countenance and my God.
Former Deliverances and Present Troubles.
For the choir director. A [fp]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
44 O God, we have heard with our ears,
Our (XY)fathers have told us
The (XZ)work that You did in their days,
In the (YA)days of old.
2 You with Your own hand (YB)drove out the nations;
Then You (YC)planted them;
You (YD)afflicted the peoples,
Then You (YE)spread them abroad.
3 For by their own sword they (YF)did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your (YG)arm and the (YH)light of Your presence,
For You (YI)favored them.
4 You are (YJ)my King, O God;
(YK)Command [fq]victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will (YL)push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will (YM)trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I will (YN)not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
7 But You (YO)have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have (YP)put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have (YQ)boasted all day long,
And we will (YR)give thanks to Your name forever. [fr]Selah.
9 Yet You (YS)have rejected us and brought us to (YT)dishonor,
And (YU)do not go out with our armies.
10 You cause us to (YV)turn back from the adversary;
And those who hate us (YW)have taken spoil for themselves.
11 You give us as (YX)sheep [fs]to be eaten
And have (YY)scattered us among the nations.
12 You (YZ)sell Your people [ft]cheaply,
And have not [fu]profited by their sale.
13 You make us a (ZA)reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a (ZB)derision to those around us.
14 You make us (ZC)a byword among the nations,
A [fv](ZD)laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me
And [fw]my (ZE)humiliation has overwhelmed me,
16 Because of the voice of him who (ZF)reproaches and reviles,
Because of the presence of the (ZG)enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, but we have (ZH)not forgotten You,
And we have not (ZI)dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not (ZJ)turned back,
And our steps (ZK)have not deviated from Your way,
19 Yet You have (ZL)crushed us in a place of (ZM)jackals
And covered us with (ZN)the shadow of death.
20 If we had (ZO)forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our [fx]hands to (ZP)a strange god,
21 Would not God (ZQ)find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 But (ZR)for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as (ZS)sheep to be slaughtered.
23 (ZT)Arouse Yourself, why (ZU)do You sleep, O Lord?
Awake, (ZV)do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You (ZW)hide Your face
And (ZX)forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our (ZY)soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
26 (ZZ)Rise up, be our help,
And (AAA)redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.
For the choir director; according to the [fy]Shoshannim. A [fz]Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
45 My heart [ga]overflows with a good theme;
I [gb]address my [gc]verses to the [gd]King;
My tongue is the pen of (AAB)a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
(AAC)Grace is poured [ge]upon Your lips;
Therefore God has (AAD)blessed You forever.
3 Gird (AAE)Your sword on Your thigh, O [gf](AAF)Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and (AAG)meekness and righteousness;
Let Your (AAH)right hand teach You [gg]awesome things.
5 Your (AAI)arrows are sharp;
The (AAJ)peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are (AAK)in the heart of the King’s enemies.
6 (AAL)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of (AAM)uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You have (AAN)loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (AAO)anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
8 All Your garments are fragrant with (AAP)myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces (AAQ)stringed instruments have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among (AAR)Your noble ladies;
At Your (AAS)right hand stands the queen in (AAT)gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:
(AAU)Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty.
Because He is your (AAV)Lord, (AAW)bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of (AAX)Tyre will come with a gift;
The (AAY)rich among the people will seek your favor.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.