Psalms 30-39
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 30
1I will exalt You, Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me. 2Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. 3Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. 4Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, And praise the mention of His holiness. 5For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. 6Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, 'I will never be moved.' 7Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed. 8To You, Lord, I called, And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion: 9'What gain is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? 10'Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.' 11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have untied my sackcloth and encircled me with joy, 12That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.Chapter 31
1In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be put to shame; In Your righteousness rescue me. 2Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be a rock of strength for me, A stronghold to save me. 3For You are my rock and my fortress; For the sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me. 4You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. 5Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth. 6I hate those who devote themselves to worthless idols, But I trust in the Lord. 7I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness, Because You have seen my misery; You have known the troubles of my soul, 8And You have not handed me over to the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. 9Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body too. 10For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my guilt, And my body has wasted away. 11Because of all my adversaries, I have become a disgrace, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me. 12I am forgotten like a dead person, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. 13For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life. 14But as for me, I trust in You, Lord, I say, 'You are my God.' 15My times are in Your hand; Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. 16Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your faithfulness. 17Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. 18Let the lying lips be speechless, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous With pride and contempt. 19How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have performed for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of mankind! 20You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of mankind; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. 21Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown His marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged city. 22As for me, I said in my alarm, 'I am cut off from Your eyes'; Nevertheless You heard the sound of my pleadings When I called to You for help. 23Love the Lord, all His godly ones! The Lord watches over the faithful But fully repays the one who acts arrogantly. 24Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who wait for the Lord.Chapter 32
1 How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah 5I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, 'I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord'; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him. 7You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will advise you with My eye upon you. 9Do not be like the horse or like 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. 10The sorrows of the wicked are many, But the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him. 11Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.Chapter 33
1Sing for joy in the Lord, you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. 2Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 3Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in faithfulness. 5He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their lights. 7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He puts the depths in storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood firm. 10The Lord nullifies the plan of nations; He frustrates the plans of peoples. 11The plan of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen for His own inheritance. 13The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of mankind; 14From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, 15He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. 16The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not rescued by great strength. 17A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it rescue anyone by its great strength. 18Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who wait for His faithfulness, 19To rescue their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. 20Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22Let Your favor, Lord, be upon us, Just as we have waited for You.Chapter 34
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3Exalt the Lord with me, And let’s exalt His name together. 4I sought the Lord and He answered me, And rescued me from all my fears. 5They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. 6This wretched man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. 8Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9Fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no lack of anything. 10The young lions do without and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing. 11Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12Who is the person who desires life And loves length of days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14Turn from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears are toward their cry for help. 16The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To eliminate the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears And rescues them from all their troubles. 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19The afflictions of the righteous are many, But the Lord rescues him from them all. 20He protects all his bones, Not one of them is broken. 21Evil will bring death to the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt. 22The Lord redeems the souls of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.Chapter 35
1Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. 2Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up as my help. 3Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.' 4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. 5Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the Lord driving them on. 6Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 7For they hid their net for me without cause; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. 8Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware, And let the net which he hid catch him; Let him fall into that very destruction. 9So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10All my bones will say, 'Lord, who is like You, Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?' 11Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not know. 12They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul. 13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, But my prayer kept returning to me. 14I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother. 15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing. 16Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth. 17Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions. 18I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty people. 19Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me for no reason wink maliciously. 20For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. 21They opened their mouth wide against me; They said, 'Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!' 22You have seen it, Lord, do not keep silent; Lord, do not be far from me. 23Stir Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord. 24Judge me, Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me. 25Do not let them say in their heart, 'Aha, our desire!' Do not let them say, 'We have swallowed him up!' 26May those be ashamed and altogether humiliated who rejoice at my distress; May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and dishonor. 27May those shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in my vindication; And may they say continually, 'The Lord be exalted, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.' 28And my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.Chapter 36
1 Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2For it flatters him in his own eyes Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it. 3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4He plans wickedness on his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not reject evil. 5Your mercy, Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep. Lord, You protect mankind and animals. 7How precious is Your mercy, God! And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 8They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You allow them to drink from the river of Your delights. 9For the fountain of life is with You; In Your light we see light. 10Prolong Your mercy to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright of heart. 11May the foot of pride not come upon me, And may the hand of the wicked not drive me away. 12Those who do injustice have fallen there; They have been thrust down and cannot rise.Chapter 37
1Do not get upset because of evildoers, Do not be envious of wrongdoers. 2For they will wither quickly like the grass, And decay like the green plants. 3Trust in the Lord and do good; Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 6He will bring out your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes. 8Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing. 9For evildoers will be eliminated, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. 10Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. 11But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. 12The wicked plots against the righteous, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To take down the afflicted and the needy, To kill off those who are upright in conduct. 15Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken. 16Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked. 17For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the Lord sustains the righteous. 18The Lord knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. 19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have plenty. 20But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. 22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be eliminated. 23The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. 25I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging for bread. 26All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. 27Turn from evil and do good, So that you will dwell forever. 28For the Lord loves justice And does not abandon His godly ones; They are protected forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated. 29The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. 31The Law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. 32The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. 33The Lord will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged. 34Wait for the Lord and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are eliminated, you will see it. 35I have seen a wicked, violent person Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. 36Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more; I searched for him, but he could not be found. 37Observe the blameless person, and look at the upright; For the person of peace will have a future. 38But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed; The future of the wicked will be eliminated. 39But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. 40The Lord helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.Chapter 38
1Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, And do not punish me in Your burning anger. 2For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me. 3There is no healthy part in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4For my guilty deeds have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. 5My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my foolishness. 6I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go in mourning all day long. 7For my sides are filled with burning, And there is no healthy part in my flesh. 8I feel faint and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart. 9Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me. 11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand far away. 12Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they plot deception all day long. 13But I, like a person who is deaf, do not hear; And I am like a person who cannot speak, who does not open his mouth. 14Yes, I am like a person who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments. 15For I wait for You, Lord; You will answer, Lord my God. 16For I said, 'May they not rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, would exalt themselves over me.' 17For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18For I admit my guilt; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. 19But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And those who wrongfully hate me are many. 20And those who repay evil for good, They become my enemies, because I follow what is good. 21Do not abandon me, Lord; My God, do not be far from me! 22Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!Chapter 39
1 I said, 'I will keep watch over my ways So that I do not sin with my tongue; I will keep watch over my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.' 2I was mute and silent, I refused to say even something good, And my pain was stirred up. 3My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: 4'Lord, let me know my end, And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. 5Behold, You have made my days like hand widths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Certainly all mankind standing is a mere breath. Selah 6Certainly every person walks around as a fleeting shadow; They certainly make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. 7'And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. 8Save me from all my wrongdoings; Do not make me an object of reproach for the foolish. 9I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who have done it. 10Remove Your plague from me; Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing. 11With rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing; You consume like a moth what is precious to him; Certainly all mankind is mere breath! Selah 12'Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help; Do not be silent to my tears; For I am a stranger with You, One who lives abroad, like all my fathers. 13Turn Your eyes away from me, that I may become cheerful again Before I depart and am no more.'King James Version
Chapter 32
1A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
6By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
18The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
22The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
19But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 30
1A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Of David. I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. 2 Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
4Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
6When I was secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
7 Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
9"What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper."
11You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Chapter 31
1For the choir director. A psalm of David. Lord, I seek refuge in you; let me never be disgraced. Save me by your righteousness. 2Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me. 3For you are my rock and my fortress; you lead and guide me for your name’s sake. 4You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for you are my refuge.
5Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.
6I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
7I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You know the troubles of my soul
8and have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place.
9Be gracious to me, Lord, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from frustration— my whole being as well.
10Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
11I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors. I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me.
12I am forgotten: gone from memory like a dead person—like broken pottery.
13I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side. When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life.
14But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God."
15The course of my life is in your power; rescue me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.
16Make your face shine on your servant; save me by your faithful love.
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on you. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them be quiet in Sheol.
18Let lying lips that arrogantly speak against the righteous in proud contempt be silenced.
19How great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who fear you and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in you.
20You hide them in the protection of your presence; you conceal them in a shelter from human schemes, from quarrelsome tongues.
21Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his faithful love to me in a city under siege.
22In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to you for help.
23Love the Lord, all his faithful ones. The Lord protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant.
24Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.
Chapter 32
1Of David. A Maskil. How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!
2How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!
3When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Selah
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him.
7You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah
8I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel.
9Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you.
10Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him.
11Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Chapter 33
1Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. 2Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to him with a ten-stringed harp.
3Sing a new song to him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.
4For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work is trustworthy.
5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.
6The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.
7He gathers the water of the sea into a heap; he puts the depths into storehouses.
8Let the whole earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.
10The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations; he thwarts the plans of the peoples.
11The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation.
12Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord — the people he has chosen to be his own possession!
13The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone.
14He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place.
15He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works.
16A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength.
17The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.
18But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him— those who depend on his faithful love
19to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine.
20We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield.
21For our hearts rejoice in him because we trust in his holy name.
22May your faithful love rest on us, Lord, for we put our hope in you.
Chapter 34
1Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2I will boast in the Lord; the humble will hear and be glad.
3Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.
6This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
9You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
11Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good?
13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
14Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help.
16The face of the Lord is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.
19One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all.
20He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.
21Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22The Lord redeems the life of his servants, and all who take refuge in him will not be punished.
Chapter 35
1Of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who fight me. 2Take your shields—large and small— and come to my aid.
3Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers, and assure me: "I am your deliverance."
4Let those who intend to take my life be disgraced and humiliated; let those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed.
5Let them be like chaff in the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away.
6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7They hid their net for me without cause; they dug a pit for me without cause.
8Let ruin come on him unexpectedly, and let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his ruin.
9Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will delight in his deliverance.
10All my bones will say, "Lord, who is like you, rescuing the poor from one too strong for him, the poor or the needy from one who robs him?"
11Malicious witnesses come forward; they question me about things I do not know.
12They repay me evil for good, making me desolate.
13Yet when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine.
14I went about mourning as if for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for a mother.
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; they gathered against me. Assailants I did not know tore at me and did not stop.
16With godless mockery they gnashed their teeth at me.
17Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages; rescue my precious life from the young lions.
18I will praise you in the great assembly; I will exalt you among many people.
19Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me; do not let those who hate me without cause wink at me maliciously.
20For they do not speak in friendly ways, but contrive fraudulent schemes against those who live peacefully in the land.
21They open their mouths wide against me and say, "Aha, aha! We saw it!"
22You saw it, Lord; do not be silent. Lord, do not be far from me.
23Wake up and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
24Vindicate me, Lord my God, in keeping with your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.
25Do not let them say in their hearts, "Aha! Just what we wanted." Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"
26Let those who rejoice at my misfortune be disgraced and humiliated; let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and reproach.
27Let those who want my vindication shout for joy and be glad; let them continually say, "The Lord be exalted. He takes pleasure in his servant’s well-being."
28And my tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praise all day long.
Chapter 36
1For the choir director. Of David, the Lord’s servant. An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked person: Dread of God has no effect on him. 2For with his flattering opinion of himself, he does not discover and hate his iniquity. 3The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive; he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.
4Even on his bed he makes malicious plans. He sets himself on a path that is not good, and he does not reject evil.
5 Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your judgments like the deepest sea. Lord, you preserve people and animals.
7How priceless your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream.
9For the wellspring of life is with you. By means of your light we see light.
10Spread your faithful love over those who know you, and your righteousness over the upright in heart.
11Do not let the foot of the arrogant come near me or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12There! The evildoers have fallen. They have been thrown down and cannot rise.
2For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
3Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.
4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,
7Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.
8Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
9For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there.
11But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.
12The wicked person schemes against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him.
13The Lord laughs at him because he sees that his day is coming.
14The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the bow to bring down the poor and needy and to slaughter those whose way is upright.
15Their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16The little that the righteous person has is better than the abundance of many wicked people.
17For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous.
18The Lord watches over the blameless all their days, and their inheritance will last forever.
20But the wicked will perish; the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away— they will fade away like smoke.
21The wicked person borrows and does not repay, but the righteous one is gracious and giving.
22Those who are blessed by the Lord will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be destroyed.
23A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in his way.
24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with his hand.
25I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.
26He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing.
27Turn away from evil, do what is good, and settle permanently.
28For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
29The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it permanently.
30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just.
31The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
32The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous and intends to kill him;
34Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed.
35I have seen a wicked, violent person well-rooted, like a flourishing native tree.
36Then I passed by and noticed he was gone; I searched for him, but he could not be found.
37Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the person of peace will have a future.
38But transgressors will all be eliminated; the future of the wicked will be destroyed.
39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress.
40The Lord helps and delivers them; he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in him.
2For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has pressed down on me.
3There is no soundness in my body because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have flooded over my head; they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.
5My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.
6I am bent over and brought very low; all day long I go around in mourning.
7For my insides are full of burning pain, and there is no soundness in my body.
8I am faint and severely crushed; I groan because of the anguish of my heart.
9Lord, my every desire is in front of you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
10My heart races, my strength leaves me, and even the light of my eyes has faded.
11My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction, and my relatives stand at a distance.
12Those who intend to kill me set traps, and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me; they plot treachery all day long.
13I am like a deaf person; I do not hear. I am like a speechless person who does not open his mouth.
14I am like a man who does not hear and has no arguments in his mouth.
15For I put my hope in you, Lord; you will answer me, my Lord, my God.
16For I said, "Don’t let them rejoice over me— those who are arrogant toward me when I stumble."
17For I am about to fall, and my pain is constantly with me.
18So I confess my iniquity; I am anxious because of my sin.
19But my enemies are vigorous and powerful; many hate me for no reason.
20Those who repay evil for good attack me for pursuing good.
21 Lord, do not abandon me; my God, do not be far from me.
22Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation.
Chapter 39
1For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, "I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence." 2I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified. 3My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, a fire burned. I spoke with my tongue: 4"Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.
6Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow. Indeed, they rush around in vain, gathering possessions without knowing who will get them.
7"Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
8Rescue me from all my transgressions; do not make me the taunt of fools.
9I am speechless; I do not open my mouth because of what you have done.
10Remove your torment from me. Because of the force of your hand I am finished.
11You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity, consuming like a moth what is precious to him; yes, every human being is only a vapor. Selah
12"Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry for help; do not be silent at my tears. For I am here with you as an alien, a temporary resident like all my ancestors.
13Turn your angry gaze from me so that I may be cheered up before I die and am gone."
New Living Translation
Chapter 30
1I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. 2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. 3You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.
4Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6When I was prosperous, I said, 'Nothing can stop me now!'
7Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.
8I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
9'What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness?
10Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.'
11You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
12that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!
Chapter 31
1O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. 2Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. 3You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger. 4Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. 5I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.
6I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord.
7I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.
8You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place.
9Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away.
10I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.
11I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors — even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way.
12I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.
13I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.
14But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, 'You are my God!'
15My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.
17Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord, for I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave.
18Silence their lying lips — those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
19How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
20You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.
21Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
22In panic I cried out, 'I am cut off from the Lord!' But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
23Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
24So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!
Chapter 32
1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
8The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
9Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.'
10Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Chapter 33
1Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise him. 2Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. 3Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. 4For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. 5He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.
6The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
7He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
8Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.
10The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.
11But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.
13The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.
14From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.
15He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.
16The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory — for all its strength, it cannot save you.
18But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.
19He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.
20We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield.
21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
Chapter 34
1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
4I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.
7For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.
10Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?
13Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
14Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
15The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.
16But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.
17The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
19The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
20For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!
21Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Chapter 35
1O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. 2Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. 3Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, 'I will give you victory!' 4Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me; turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me. 5Blow them away like chaff in the wind — a wind sent by the angel of the Lord. 6Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 7I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me. I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me. 8So let sudden ruin come upon them! Let them be caught in the trap they set for me! Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.
9Then I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because he rescues me.
10With every bone in my body I will praise him: 'Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?'
11Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair.
13Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered.
14I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother.
15But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they slander me constantly.
16They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me.
17How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions!
18Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people.
19Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat. Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.
20They don’t talk of peace; they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.
21They shout, 'Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it!'
22O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
23Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
24Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice. Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
25Don’t let them say, 'Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!'
26May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
27But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, 'Great is the Lord, who delights in blessing his servant with peace!'
28Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.
Chapter 36
1Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. 2In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. 3Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good. 4They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
7How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
8You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.
9For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
10Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.
11Don’t let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around.
12Look! Those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down, never to rise again.
Chapter 37
1 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. 2For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
6He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
8Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper — it only leads to harm.
9For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
10Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.
11The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
12The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
13But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
14The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
15But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
17For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.
18Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.
21The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
22Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
23The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
24Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
25Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
26The godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
28For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.
29The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
30The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
31They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
32The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
33But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
35I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
37Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.
39The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.
Chapter 38
1O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage! 2Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. 3Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. 4My guilt overwhelms me — it is a burden too heavy to bear. 5My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. 6I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. 7A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. 8I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.
9You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.
10My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.
11My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.
12Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery.
13But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply.
15For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16I prayed, 'Don’t let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.'
17I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain.
18But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason.
20They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good.
21Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.
Chapter 39
1I said to myself, 'I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.' 2But as I stood there in silence — not even speaking of good things — the turmoil within me grew worse. 3The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: 4'Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is.
6We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
7And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.
8Rescue me from my rebellion. Do not let fools mock me.
9I am silent before you; I won’t say a word, for my punishment is from you.
10But please stop striking me! I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
English Standard Version
Chapter 30
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 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? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!" 11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!Chapter 31
1 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! 2Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! 3For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name 's sake you lead me and guide me; 4you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 6I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. 7I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. 9Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. 10For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. 11Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13For I hear the whispering of many — terror on every side! — as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. 14But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 17O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. 18Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. 19Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! 20In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. 21Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. 23Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!Chapter 32
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!Chapter 33
1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. 16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.Chapter 34
1I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.Chapter 35
1Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! 2Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! 3Draw 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 disappointed who devise evil against me! 5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away! 6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them! 7For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life. 8Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it — to his destruction! 9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation. 10All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?" 11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. 12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. 13But I, when they were sick — I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. 14I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. 15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; 16like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth. 17How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! 18I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you. 19 Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. 20For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. 21They open wide their mouths against me; they say, "Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!" 22 You have seen, O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! 23Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! 24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me! 25Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart 's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up." 26Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me! 27Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!" 28Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.Chapter 36
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. 5Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 10Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.Chapter 37
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. 20But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish — like smoke they vanish away. 21The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. 36But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 37Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.Chapter 38
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes — it also has gone from me. 11My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 12Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16For I said, "Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!" 17For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!Chapter 39
1 I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence." 2I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4"O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! 7"And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. 8Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. 10 Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. 11When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah 12 "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!"New International Version
Chapter 30
1A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
3You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
4Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
7 Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, 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? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help."
11You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Chapter 31
1For the director of music. A psalm of David. In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
5Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
6I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.
7I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
8You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
10My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
11Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors 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; I have become like broken pottery.
13For I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side!" They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14But I trust in you, Lord; I say, "You are my God."
15My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
16Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
17Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
20In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.
22In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Chapter 32
1Of David. A maskil. Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
2Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Chapter 33
1Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
5The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ; he puts the deep into storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.
9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
13From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;
14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—
15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Chapter 34
1Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Chapter 35
1Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.
3Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, "I am your salvation."
4May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
5May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
8may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
10My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
11Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.
13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing.
16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
17How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
18I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
19Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
20They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
21They sneer at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it."
22 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.
23Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me.
25Do not let them think, "Aha, just what we wanted!" or say, "We have swallowed him up."
26May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant."
28My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
Chapter 36
1For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.
4Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
5Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise!
Chapter 37
1Of David. Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
14The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
17for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.
20But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;
22those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed.
23The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
24though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.
27Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
29The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.
31The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.
32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;
34Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.
38But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.
39The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Chapter 38
1A psalm of David. A petition. Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. 3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
5My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.
6I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
7My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
8I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
9All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.
10My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
12Those who want to kill me set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they scheme and lie.
13I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, like the mute, who cannot speak;
14I have become like one who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.
16For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip."
17For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
19Many have become my enemies without cause ; those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.
22Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.
Chapter 39
1For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked." 2So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good. But my anguish increased;
3my heart grew hot within me. While I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4"Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
6"Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
7"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.
8Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.
9I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.
10Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin, you consume their wealth like a moth— surely everyone is but a breath.
12"Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
13Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more."
New King James Version
Chapter 30
1{A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.} I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 3O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4 Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 5For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. 6Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” 7Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 8I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication: 9“What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? 10Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.Chapter 31
1{To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.} In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. 4Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. 6I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord. 7I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, 8And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place. 9Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! 10For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. 11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life. 14But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. 16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake. 17 Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave. 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. 19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. 21Blessed be the Lord, For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! 22For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. 23Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. 24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.Chapter 32
1{A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.} Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
9Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Chapter 33
1Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. 5He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.Chapter 34
1{A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.} I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.Chapter 35
1{A Psalm of David.} Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. 2Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. 3Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” 4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. 5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the Lord chase them. 6Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the Lord pursue them. 7For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug without cause for my life. 8Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall. 9And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” 11Fierce witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not know. 12 They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow of my soul. 13But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. 14I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. 15But in my adversity they rejoiced And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease; 16With ungodly mockers at feasts They gnashed at me with their teeth. 17Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious life from the lions. 18I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. 20For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful matters Against the quiet ones in the land. 21They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.” 22 This You have seen, O Lord; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. 23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord. 24Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. 25Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” 26Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor Who exalt themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” 28And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.Chapter 36
1{To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.} An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. 3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil. 5Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast. 7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 10Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.Chapter 37
1{A Psalm of David.} Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm. 9For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. 17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous. 18The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. 22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. 25I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. 27Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. 28For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 31The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. 32The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. 33The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. 34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.Chapter 38
1{A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.} O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 2For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. 4For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. 6I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh. 8I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. 9Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. 11My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off. 12Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long. 13But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 14Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response. 15For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. 16For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. 19But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. 20Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. 21Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! 22Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!Chapter 39
1{To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.} I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.” 2 I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up. 3My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue: 4“Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am.
6Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.
7“And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
9 I was mute, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it.
10 Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
