Bible in 90 Days
Psalm 25
Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
Of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.(A)
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.(B)
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.(C)
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.(D)
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.(E)
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.(F)
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!(G)
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.(H)
9 He leads the humble in what is right
and teaches the humble his way.(I)
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.(J)
11 For your name’s sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.(K)
12 Who are they who fear the Lord?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
13 They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.(L)
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.(M)
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.(N)
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.(O)
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me[a] out of my distress.(P)
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.(Q)
19 Consider how many are my foes
and with what violent hatred they hate me.(R)
20 O guard my life and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.(S)
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.(T)
Psalm 26
Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness
Of David.
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.(U)
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.(V)
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.[b](W)
4 I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;(X)
5 I hate the company of evildoers
and will not sit with the wicked.(Y)
6 I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,(Z)
7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving
and telling all your wondrous deeds.(AA)
8 O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell
and the place where your glory abides.(AB)
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,(AC)
10 those in whose hands are evil devices
and whose right hands are full of bribes.(AD)
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me and be gracious to me.(AE)
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.(AF)
Psalm 27
Triumphant Song of Confidence
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[c] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?(AG)
2 When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.(AH)
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.(AI)
4 One thing I asked of the Lord;
this I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.(AJ)
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.(AK)
6 Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.(AL)
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!(AM)
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.(AN)
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off; do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!(AO)
10 If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.(AP)
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.(AQ)
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.(AR)
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.(AS)
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!(AT)
Psalm 28
Prayer for Help and Thanksgiving for It
Of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, do not refuse to hear me,
for if you are silent to me,
I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.(AU)
2 Hear the voice of my supplication,
as I cry to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.[d](AV)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while mischief is in their hearts.(AW)
4 Repay them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.(AX)
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.(AY)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.(AZ)
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.(BA)
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.(BB)
9 O save your people and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.(BC)
Psalm 29
The Voice of God in a Great Storm
A Psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,[e]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.(BD)
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.(BE)
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.(BF)
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.(BG)
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.(BH)
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion like a young wild ox.(BI)
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(BJ)
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl[f]
and strips the forest bare,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”(BK)
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.(BL)
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!(BM)
Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.(BN)
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.(BO)
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.[g](BP)
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.(BQ)
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.(BR)
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.(BS)
8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?(BT)
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”[h]
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,(BU)
12 so that my soul[i] may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.(BV)
Psalm 31
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.(BW)
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.(BX)
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me;(BY)
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.(BZ)
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.(CA)
6 You hate[j] those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.(CB)
7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have taken notice of my adversities(CC)
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.(CD)
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,[k]
and my bones waste away.(CE)
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror[l] to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.(CF)
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.(CG)
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.(CH)
14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”(CI)
15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.(CJ)
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.(CK)
17 Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.(CL)
18 Let the lying lips be stilled
that speak insolently against the righteous
with pride and contempt.(CM)
19 O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!(CN)
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.(CO)
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was beset as a city under siege.(CP)
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am driven far[m] from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
when I cried out to you for help.(CQ)
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints.
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.(CR)
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.(CS)
Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.(CT)
2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.(CU)
3 While I kept silent, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.(CV)
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[n] as by the heat of summer. Selah(CW)
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah(CX)
6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress,[o] the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.(CY)
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah(CZ)
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.(DA)
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.(DB)
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.(DC)
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.(DD)
Psalm 33
The Greatness and Goodness of God
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.(DE)
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.(DF)
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.(DG)
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.(DH)
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.(DI)
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.(DJ)
7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him,(DK)
9 for he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.(DL)
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.(DM)
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.(DN)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.(DO)
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.(DP)
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth—
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.(DQ)
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.(DR)
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.(DS)
18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,(DT)
19 to deliver their soul from death
and to keep them alive in famine.(DU)
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him
because we trust in his holy name.(DV)
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Psalm 34
Praise for Deliverance from Trouble
Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.(DW)
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.(DX)
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(DY)
5 Look to him, and be radiant,
so your[p] faces shall never be ashamed.(DZ)
6 This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord
and was saved from every trouble.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him and delivers them.(EA)
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.(EB)
9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.(EC)
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(ED)
11 Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(EE)
12 Which of you desires life
and covets many days to enjoy good?(EF)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.(EG)
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.(EH)
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.(EI)
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.(EJ)
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and rescues them from all their troubles.(EK)
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.(EL)
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.(EM)
20 He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.(EN)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.(EO)
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.(EP)
Psalm 35
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
Of David.
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!(EQ)
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise up to help me!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers;
say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me.(ER)
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them on.(ES)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(ET)
7 For without cause they hid their net[q] for me;
without cause they dug a pit[r] for my life.(EU)
8 Let ruin come on them unawares,
and let the net that they hid ensnare them;
let them fall in it—to their ruin.(EV)
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
exulting in his deliverance.(EW)
10 All my bones shall say,
“O Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the weak
from those too strong for them,
the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”(EX)
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me about things I do not know.(EY)
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is forlorn.(EZ)
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed[s] on my bosom,(FA)
14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
bowed down and in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee;
they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;(FB)
16 they impiously mocked more and more,[t]
gnashing at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my life from the lions!(FC)
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.(FD)
19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me
or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.(FE)
20 For they do not speak peace,
but they conceive deceitful words
against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, “Aha, Aha,
our eyes have seen it.”(FF)
22 You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent!
O Lord, do not be far from me!(FG)
23 Wake up! Rouse yourself for my defense,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!(FH)
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(FI)
25 Do not let them say to themselves,
“Aha, we have our heart’s desire.”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you[u] up.”(FJ)
26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity
be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me
be clothed with shame and dishonor.(FK)
27 Let those who desire my vindication
shout for joy and be glad
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant.”(FL)
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all day long.(FM)
Psalm 36
Human Wickedness and Divine Goodness
To the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
before their eyes.(FN)
2 For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
they have ceased to act wisely and do good.(FO)
4 They plot mischief while on their beds;
they are set on a way that is not good;
they do not reject evil.(FP)
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains;
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.(FQ)
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(FR)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.(FS)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.(FT)
10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me
or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie prostrate;
they are thrust down, unable to rise.(FU)
Psalm 37
Exhortation to Patience and Trust
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,(FV)
2 for they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.(FW)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
live in the land and enjoy security.(FX)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(FY)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.(FZ)
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.(GA)
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.(GB)
8 Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.(GC)
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.(GD)
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.(GE)
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.(GF)
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,(GG)
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.(GH)
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;(GI)
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.(GJ)
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.(GK)
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.(GL)
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide forever;(GM)
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.(GN)
20 But the wicked perish,
and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.(GO)
21 The wicked borrow and do not pay back,
but the righteous are generous and keep giving;(GP)
22 surely those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.(GQ)
23 Our steps[v] are made firm by the Lord
when he delights in our[w] way;(GR)
24 though we stumble, we[x] shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us[y] by the hand.(GS)
25 I have been young and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.(GT)
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing.(GU)
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide forever.(GV)
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.
The righteous shall be kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.(GW)
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and live in it forever.(GX)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak justice.(GY)
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their steps do not slip.(GZ)
32 The wicked watch for the righteous
and seek to kill them.(HA)
33 The Lord will not abandon them to their power
or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.(HB)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.(HC)
35 I have seen the wicked oppressing
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.[z](HD)
36 Again I[aa] passed by, and they were no more;
though I sought them, they could not be found.(HE)
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is posterity for the peaceable.(HF)
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.(HG)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their refuge in the time of trouble.(HH)
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked and saves them
because they take refuge in him.(HI)
Psalm 38
A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(HJ)
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.(HK)
3 There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.(HL)
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.(HM)
5 My wounds grow foul and fester
because of my foolishness;(HN)
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all day long I go around mourning.(HO)
7 For my loins are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.(HP)
8 I am utterly spent and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.(HQ)
9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.(HR)
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me;
as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my neighbors stand far off.(HS)
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin
and meditate on treachery all day long.(HT)
13 But I am like the deaf; I do not hear;
like the mute, who cannot speak.(HU)
14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear
and in whose mouth is no retort.
15 But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.(HV)
16 For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me,
those who boast against me when my foot slips.”(HW)
17 For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.(HX)
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.(HY)
19 Those who are my foes without cause[ab] are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.(HZ)
20 Those who render me evil for good
are my adversaries because I follow after good.(IA)
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me;(IB)
22 make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.(IC)
Psalm 39
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the leader: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1 I said, “I will guard my ways
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will keep a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence.”(ID)
2 I was silent and still;
I held my peace to no avail;
my distress grew worse;(IE)
3 my heart became hot within me.
While I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.(IF)
5 You have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.
Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah(IG)
6 Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
they heap up and do not know who will gather.(IH)
7 “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in you.(II)
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
Do not make me the scorn of the fool.(IJ)
9 I am silent; I do not open my mouth,
for it is you who have done it.(IK)
10 Remove your stroke from me;
I am worn down by the blows[ac] of your hand.(IL)
11 “You chastise mortals
in punishment for sin,
consuming like a moth what is dear to them;
surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah(IM)
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
do not hold your peace at my tears.
For I am your passing guest,
an alien, like all my forebears.(IN)
13 Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more.”(IO)
Psalm 40
Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Prayer for Help
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.(IP)
2 He drew me up from the desolate pit,[ad]
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.(IQ)
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.(IR)
4 Happy are those who make
the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.(IS)
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.(IT)
6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.[ae]
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.(IU)
7 Then I said, “Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.[af]
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”(IV)
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.(IW)
10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.(IX)
11 Do not, O Lord, withhold
your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
keep me safe forever.(IY)
12 For evils have encompassed me
without number;
my iniquities have overtaken me
until I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.(IZ)
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.(JA)
14 Let all those be put to shame and confusion
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire my hurt.(JB)
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”(JC)
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”(JD)
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.(JE)
Psalm 41
Assurance of God’s Help and a Plea for Healing
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 Happy are those who consider the poor;[ag]
the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.(JF)
2 The Lord protects them and keeps them alive;
they are called happy in the land.
You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.(JG)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
in their illness you heal all their infirmities.[ah](JH)
4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”(JI)
5 My enemies wonder in malice
when I will die and my name perish.(JJ)
6 And when they come to see me, they utter empty words
while their hearts gather mischief;
when they go out, they tell it abroad.(JK)
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.(JL)
8 They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me,
that I will not rise again from where I lie.(JM)
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.(JN)
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them.(JO)
11 By this I know that you are pleased with me:
because my enemy has not triumphed over me.(JP)
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity
and set me in your presence forever.(JQ)
13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(JR)
Book II
(Psalms 42–72)
Psalm 42
Longing for God and His Help in Distress
To the leader. A Maskil of the Korahites.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.(JS)
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?(JT)
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”(JU)
4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng[ai]
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.(JV)
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help(JW) 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your torrents;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.(JX)
8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.(JY)
9 I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”(JZ)
10 As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”(KA)
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.(KB)
Psalm 43
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust,
deliver me!(KC)
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because of the oppression of the enemy?(KD)
3 O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.(KE)
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.(KF)
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.(KG)
Psalm 44
National Lament and Prayer for Help
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Maskil.
1 We have heard with our ears, O God;
our ancestors have told us
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:(KH)
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;(KI)
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm give them victory,
but your right hand, and your arm,
and the light of your countenance,
for you delighted in them.(KJ)
4 You are my King and my God;
you command[aj] victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down our assailants.(KK)
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to confusion those who hate us.(KL)
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah(KM)
9 Yet you have rejected us and shamed us
and have not gone out with our armies.(KN)
10 You made us turn back from the foe,
and our enemies have gotten spoil.(KO)
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.(KP)
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.(KQ)
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.(KR)
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock[ak] among the peoples.(KS)
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.(KT)
17 All this has come upon us,
yet we have not forgotten you
or been false to your covenant.(KU)
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way,(KV)
19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals
and covered us with deep darkness.(KW)
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a strange god,(KX)
21 would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.(KY)
22 Because of you we are being killed all day long
and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.(KZ)
23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not cast us off forever!(LA)
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?(LB)
25 For we sink down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.(LC)
26 Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.(LD)
Psalm 45
Ode for a Royal Wedding
To the leader: according to Lilies. Of the Korahites. A Maskil. A love song.
1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.(LE)
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.(LF)
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
in your glory and majesty.(LG)
4 In your majesty ride on victoriously
for the cause of truth and to defend[al] the right;
let your right hand teach you dread deeds.(LH)
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God,[am] endures forever and ever.
Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;(LI)
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;(LJ)
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;(LK)
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.(LL)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.