Bible in 90 Days
22 Instead they gave me poison for my food;
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar.(A)
IV
23 May their own table be a snare for them,
and their communion offerings a trap.(B)
24 Make their eyes so dim they cannot see;
keep their backs ever feeble.
25 Pour out your wrath upon them;
let the fury of your anger overtake them.
26 Make their camp desolate,
with none to dwell in their tents.(C)
27 For they pursued the one you struck,
added to the pain of the one you wounded.
28 Heap punishment upon their punishment;
let them gain from you no vindication.
29 May they be blotted from the book of life;
not registered among the just!(D)
V
30 But here I am miserable and in pain;
let your saving help protect me, God,
31 [a]That I may praise God’s name in song
and glorify it with thanksgiving.
32 That will please the Lord more than oxen,
more than bulls with horns and hooves:(E)
33 “See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, take heart!(F)
34 For the Lord hears the poor,
and does not spurn those in bondage.
35 Let the heaven and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
VI
36 For God will rescue Zion,
and rebuild the cities of Judah.(G)
They will dwell there and possess it;
37 the descendants of God’s servants will inherit it;
those who love God’s name will dwell in it.(H)
Psalm 70[b]
Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the leader; of David. For remembrance.
2 Graciously rescue me, God!(I)
Come quickly to help me, Lord!(J)
3 Let those who seek my life
be confused and put to shame.(K)
Let those who desire my ruin
turn back in disgrace.
4 Let those who say “Aha!”(L)
turn back in their shame.
5 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you,
Those who long for your help
always say, “God be glorified!”(M)
6 I am miserable and poor.
God, come to me quickly!
You are my help and deliverer.
Lord, do not delay!
Psalm 71[c]
Prayer in Time of Old Age
I
1 In you, Lord, I take refuge;(N)
let me never be put to shame.(O)
2 In your justice rescue and deliver me;
listen to me and save me!
3 Be my rock of refuge,
my stronghold to give me safety;
for you are my rock and fortress.(P)
4 My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,
from the clutches of the evil and violent.(Q)
5 You are my hope, Lord;
my trust, God, from my youth.
6 On you I have depended since birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength;(R)
my hope in you never wavers.
7 [d]I have become a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge!
8 My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
shall sing your glory every day.
II
9 Do not cast me aside in my old age;
as my strength fails, do not forsake me.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
they watch and plot against me.(S)
11 They say, “God has abandoned him.
Pursue, and seize him!
No one will come to the rescue!”
12 God, be not far from me;
my God, hasten to help me.(T)
13 Bring to a shameful end
those who attack me;
Cover with contempt and scorn
those who seek my ruin.(U)
14 I will always hope in you
and add to all your praise.
15 My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds,
day after day your acts of deliverance,
though I cannot number them all.(V)
16 I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
III
17 God, you have taught me from my youth;
to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 Now that I am old and gray,(W)
do not forsake me, God,
That I may proclaim your might
to all generations yet to come,(X)
Your power 19 and justice, God,
to the highest heaven.
You have done great things;(Y)
O God, who is your equal?(Z)
20 Whatever bitter afflictions you sent me,
you would turn and revive me.
From the watery depths of the earth
once more raise me up.
21 Restore my honor;
turn and comfort me,
22 That I may praise you with the lyre
for your faithfulness, my God,
And sing to you with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!
23 My lips will shout for joy as I sing your praise;
my soul, too, which you have redeemed.
24 Yes, my tongue shall recount
your justice day by day.
For those who sought my ruin
have been shamed and disgraced.
Psalm 72[e]
A Prayer for the King
1 Of Solomon.
I
2 O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;[f](AA)
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment,(AB)
3 That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,
and the hills great abundance,(AC)
4 That he may defend the oppressed among the people,
save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
II
5 May they fear you with the sun,
and before the moon, through all generations.(AD)
6 May he be like rain coming down upon the fields,
like showers watering the earth,(AE)
7 That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
III
8 [g]May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.(AF)
9 May his foes kneel before him,
his enemies lick the dust.(AG)
10 May the kings of Tarshish and the islands[h] bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(AH)
11 May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him.(AI)
12 For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
13 He shows pity to the needy and the poor(AJ)
and saves the lives of the poor.
14 From extortion and violence he redeems them,
for precious is their blood[i] in his sight.
IV
15 Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba,
prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
16 [j]May wheat abound in the land,
flourish even on the mountain heights.
May his fruit be like that of Lebanon,
and flourish in the city like the grasses of the land.(AK)
17 May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.(AL)
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;[k]
may all the nations regard him as favored.(AM)
18 [l]Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful deeds.(AN)
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may he fill all the earth with his glory.(AO)
Amen and amen.
20 The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.
Third Book—Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73[m]
The Trial of the Just
1 A psalm of Asaph.
How good God is to the upright,
to those who are pure of heart!
I
2 But, as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had nearly slipped,
3 Because I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(AP)
4 For they suffer no pain;
their bodies are healthy and sleek.
5 They are free of the burdens of life;
they are not afflicted like others.
6 Thus pride adorns them as a necklace;
violence clothes them as a robe.
7 Out of such blindness comes sin;
evil thoughts flood their hearts.(AQ)
8 They scoff and spout their malice;
from on high they utter threats.(AR)
9 [n]They set their mouths against the heavens,
their tongues roam the earth.
10 [o]So my people turn to them
and drink deeply of their words.
11 They say, “Does God really know?”
“Does the Most High have any knowledge?”(AS)
12 Such, then, are the wicked,
always carefree, increasing their wealth.
II
13 Is it in vain that I have kept my heart pure,
washed my hands in innocence?(AT)
14 For I am afflicted day after day,
chastised every morning.
15 Had I thought, “I will speak as they do,”
I would have betrayed this generation of your children.
16 Though I tried to understand all this,
it was too difficult for me,
17 Till I entered the sanctuary of God
and came to understand their end.[p]
III
18 You set them, indeed, on a slippery road;
you hurl them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly they are devastated;
utterly undone by disaster!
20 They are like a dream after waking, Lord,
dismissed like shadows when you arise.(AU)
IV
21 Since my heart was embittered
and my soul deeply wounded,
22 I was stupid and could not understand;
I was like a brute beast in your presence.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you take hold of my right hand.(AV)
24 With your counsel you guide me,
and at the end receive me with honor.[q]
25 Whom else have I in the heavens?
None beside you delights me on earth.
26 Though my flesh and my heart fail,
God is the rock of my heart, my portion forever.
27 But those who are far from you perish;
you destroy those unfaithful to you.
28 As for me, to be near God is my good,
to make the Lord God my refuge.
I shall declare all your works
in the gates of daughter Zion.[r]
Psalm 74[s]
Prayer at the Destruction of the Temple
1 A maskil of Asaph.
I
Why, God, have you cast us off forever?[t](AW)
Why does your anger burn against the sheep of your pasture?(AX)
2 Remember your people, whom you acquired of old,
the tribe you redeemed as your own heritage,
Mount Zion where you dwell.(AY)
3 Direct your steps toward the utter destruction,
everything the enemy laid waste in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared triumphantly in the place of your assembly;
they set up their own tokens of victory.
5 They hacked away like a forester gathering boughs,
swinging his ax in a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all its engraved work,
struck it with ax and pick.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire,
profaned your name’s abode by razing it to the ground.(AZ)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will destroy them all!
Burn all the assembly-places of God in the land!”
9 [u]Even so we have seen no signs for us,
there is no prophet any more,(BA)
no one among us who knows for how long.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy jeer?(BB)
Will the enemy revile your name forever?
11 Why draw back your hand,
why hold back your right hand within your bosom?[v]
II
12 [w]Yet you, God, are my king from of old,
winning victories throughout the earth.
13 You stirred up the sea by your might;(BC)
you smashed the heads of the dragons on the waters.(BD)
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan,(BE)
gave him as food to the sharks.
15 You opened up springs and torrents,
brought dry land out of the primeval waters.[x]
16 Yours the day and yours the night too;
you set the moon and sun in place.
17 You fixed all the limits of the earth;
summer and winter you made.(BF)
18 Remember how the enemy has jeered, Lord,
how a foolish people has reviled your name.
19 Do not surrender to wild animals those who praise you;
do not forget forever the life of your afflicted.
20 Look to your covenant,
for the recesses of the land
are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed turn back in shame;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, God, defend your cause;
remember the constant jeering of the fools.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
the unceasing uproar of your enemies.
Psalm 75[y]
God the Judge of the World
1 For the leader. Do not destroy! A psalm of Asaph; a song.
I
2 We thank you, God, we give thanks;
we call upon your name,
we declare your wonderful deeds.
[You said:][z]
3 “I will choose the time;
I will judge fairly.
4 Though the earth and all its inhabitants quake,
I make steady its pillars.”(BG)
Selah
II
5 So I say to the boastful: “Do not boast!”(BH)
to the wicked: “Do not raise your horns![aa]
6 Do not raise your horns against heaven!
Do not speak with a stiff neck!”(BI)
7 For judgment comes not from east or from west,
not from the wilderness or the mountains,(BJ)
8 But from God who decides,
who brings some low and raises others high.(BK)
9 Yes, a cup[ab] is in the Lord’s hand,
foaming wine, fully spiced.
When God pours it out,
they will drain it even to the dregs;
all the wicked of the earth will drink.(BL)
10 But I will rejoice forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
11 (BM)[Who has said:]
“I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.”
Psalm 76[ac]
God Defends Zion
1 For the leader; a psalm with stringed instruments. A song of Asaph.
I
2 Renowned in Judah is God,(BN)
whose name is great in Israel.
3 On Salem[ad] is God’s tent, his shelter on Zion.
4 There the flashing arrows were shattered,
shield, sword, and weapons of war.(BO)
Selah
II
5 Terrible and awesome are you,
stronger than the ancient mountains.[ae]
6 Despoiled are the stouthearted;
they sank into sleep;
the hands of all the men of valor have failed.(BP)
7 At your roar, O God of Jacob,
chariot and steed lay still.
8 You, terrible are you;
who can stand before you and your great anger?(BQ)
9 From the heavens you pronounced sentence;
the earth was terrified and reduced to silence,
10 When you arose, O God, for judgment
to save the afflicted of the land.
Selah
11 Surely the wrath of man will give you thanks;
the remnant of your furor will keep your feast.
III
12 Make and keep vows to the Lord your God.(BR)
May all around him bring gifts to the one to be feared,
13 Who checks the spirit of princes,
who is fearful to the kings of earth.
Psalm 77[af]
Confidence in God During National Distress
1 For the leader; According to Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.
I
2 I cry aloud to God,
I cry to God to hear me.
3 On the day of my distress I seek the Lord;
by night my hands are stretched out unceasingly;(BS)
I refuse to be consoled.
4 When I think of God, I groan;
as I meditate, my spirit grows faint.(BT)
Selah
5 You have kept me from closing my eyes in sleep;
I am troubled and cannot speak.
6 I consider the days of old;
the years long past 7 I remember.(BU)
At night I ponder in my heart;
and as I meditate, my spirit probes:
8 “Will the Lord reject us forever,(BV)
never again show favor?
9 Has God’s mercy ceased forever?
The promise to go unfulfilled for future ages?
10 Has God forgotten how to show mercy,
in anger withheld his compassion?”
Selah
11 [ag]I conclude: “My sorrow is this,
the right hand of the Most High has abandoned us.”(BW)
II
12 [ah]I will recall the deeds of the Lord;
yes, recall your wonders of old.(BX)
13 I will ponder all your works;
on your exploits I will meditate.
14 Your way, God, is holy;
what god is as great as our God?(BY)
15 You are the God who does wonders;
among the peoples you have revealed your might.(BZ)
16 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.(CA)
Selah
17 The waters saw you, God;
the waters saw you and lashed about,
even the deeps of the sea[ai] trembled.(CB)
18 The clouds poured down their rains;
the thunderheads rumbled;
your arrows flashed back and forth.(CC)
19 The thunder of your chariot wheels resounded;
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.(CD)
20 Through the sea was your way;
your path, through the mighty waters,
though your footsteps were unseen.(CE)
21 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(CF)
Psalm 78[aj]
A New Beginning in Zion and David
1 A maskil of Asaph.
I
Attend, my people, to my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable,[ak]
unfold the puzzling events of the past.(CG)
3 What we have heard and know;
things our ancestors have recounted to us.(CH)
4 We do not keep them from our children;
we recount them to the next generation,
The praiseworthy deeds of the Lord and his strength,
the wonders that he performed.(CI)
5 God made a decree in Jacob,
established a law in Israel:(CJ)
Which he commanded our ancestors,
they were to teach their children;
6 That the next generation might come to know,
children yet to be born.(CK)
In turn they were to recount them to their children,
7 that they too might put their confidence in God,
And not forget God’s deeds,
but keep his commandments.
8 They were not to be like their ancestors,
a rebellious and defiant generation,(CL)
A generation whose heart was not constant,(CM)
and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The ranks of Ephraimite archers,[al]
retreated on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant;
they refused to walk according to his law.
11 They forgot his deeds,
the wonders that he had shown them.
II
A
12 In the sight of their ancestors God did wonders,
in the land of Egypt, the plain of Zoan.[am](CN)
13 He split the sea and led them across,(CO)
making the waters stand like walls.(CP)
14 He led them with a cloud by day,
all night with the light of fire.(CQ)
15 He split rocks in the desert,
gave water to drink, abundant as the deeps of the sea.(CR)
16 He made streams flow from crags,
caused rivers of water to flow down.
B
17 But they went on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.(CS)
18 They tested God in their hearts,
demanding the food they craved.(CT)
19 They spoke against God, and said,
“Can God spread a table in the wilderness?(CU)
20 True, when he struck the rock,
water gushed forth,
the wadies flooded.
But can he also give bread,
or provide meat to his people?”
C
21 The Lord heard and grew angry;(CV)
fire blazed up against Jacob;
anger flared up against Israel.
22 For they did not believe in God,
did not trust in his saving power.
23 [an]So he commanded the clouds above;
and opened the doors of heaven.
24 God rained manna upon them for food;
grain from heaven he gave them.(CW)
25 Man ate the bread of the angels;[ao]
food he sent in abundance.
26 He stirred up the east wind in the skies;
by his might God brought on the south wind.
27 He rained meat upon them like dust,
winged fowl like the sands of the sea,
28 They fell down in the midst of their camp,
all round their dwellings.
29 They ate and were well filled;
he gave them what they had craved.
30 But while they still wanted more,
and the food was still in their mouths,
31 God’s anger flared up against them,
and he made a slaughter of their strongest,
laying low the youth of Israel.(CX)
32 In spite of all this they went on sinning,
they did not believe in his wonders.
D
33 God ended their days abruptly,
their years in sudden death.
34 When he slew them, they began to seek him;
they again looked for God.(CY)
35 They remembered[ap] that God was their rock,
God Most High, their redeemer.
36 But they deceived him with their mouths,
lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not constant toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.(CZ)
38 [aq]But God being compassionate forgave their sin;
he did not utterly destroy them.
Time and again he turned back his anger,
unwilling to unleash all his rage.(DA)
39 He remembered that they were flesh,
a breath that passes on and does not return.
III
A
40 How often they rebelled against God in the wilderness,
grieved him in the wasteland.
41 Again and again they tested God,
provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power,
the day he redeemed them from the foe,(DB)
43 [ar]When he performed his signs in Egypt,
his wonders in the plain of Zoan.(DC)
44 God turned their rivers to blood;
their streams they could not drink.
45 He sent swarms of insects that devoured them,(DD)
frogs that destroyed them.
46 He gave their harvest to the caterpillar,
the fruits of their labor to the locust.
47 He killed their vines with hail,(DE)
their sycamores with frost.
48 He exposed their cattle to plague,
their flocks to pestilence.(DF)
49 He let loose against them the heat of his anger,
wrath, fury, and distress,
a band of deadly messengers.
50 He cleared a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death,
but delivered their animals to the plague.
51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,(DG)
the first fruits of their vigor in the tents of Ham.
52 Then God led forth his people like sheep,
guided them like a flock through the wilderness.(DH)
53 He led them on secure and unafraid,
while the sea enveloped their enemies.(DI)
54 And he brought them to his holy mountain,
the hill his right hand had won.(DJ)
55 He drove out the nations before them,
allotted them as their inherited portion,
and settled in their tents the tribes of Israel.
B
56 But they tested and rebelled against God Most High,
his decrees they did not observe.
57 They turned disloyal, faithless like their ancestors;
they proved false like a slack bow.
58 They enraged him with their high places,
and with their idols provoked him[as] to jealous anger.(DK)
C
59 God heard and grew angry;
he rejected Israel completely.
60 He forsook the shrine at Shiloh,[at](DL)
the tent he set up among human beings.
61 He gave up his might into captivity,
his glorious ark into the hands of the foe.(DM)
62 God delivered his people to the sword;
he was enraged against his heritage.
63 Fire consumed their young men;
their young women heard no wedding songs.(DN)
64 Their priests fell by the sword;
their widows made no lamentation.
D
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a warrior shouting from the effects of wine.
66 He put his foes to flight;
everlasting shame he dealt them.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph,
chose not the tribe of Ephraim.
68 [au]God chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which he loved.(DO)
69 He built his shrine like the heavens,
like the earth which he founded forever.
70 He chose David his servant,
took him from the sheepfolds.(DP)
71 From tending ewes God brought him,
to shepherd Jacob, his people,
Israel, his heritage.(DQ)
72 He shepherded them with a pure heart;
with skilled hands he guided them.
Psalm 79[av]
A Prayer for Jerusalem
1 A psalm of Asaph.
I
O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.(DR)
2 They have left the corpses of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,
the flesh of those devoted to you for the beasts of the earth.(DS)
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and no one is left to do the burying.(DT)
4 We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.(DU)
II
5 How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealous anger keep burning like fire?(DV)
6 Pour out your wrath on nations that do not recognize you,
on kingdoms that do not call on your name,(DW)
7 For they have devoured Jacob,
laid waste his dwelling place.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers;
let your compassion move quickly ahead of us,
for we have been brought very low.(DX)
III
9 Help us, God our savior,
on account of the glory of your name.
Deliver us, pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.(DY)
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(DZ)
Before our eyes make known to the nations
that you avenge the blood of your servants which has been poured out.(EA)
IV
11 Let the groaning of the imprisoned come in before you;
in accord with the greatness of your arm
preserve those doomed to die.(EB)
12 Turn back sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
the insult with which they insulted you, Lord.(EC)
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation
we will recount your praise.
Psalm 80[aw]
Prayer to Restore God’s Vineyard
1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” Eduth.[ax] A psalm of Asaph.
I
2 O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear,
you who guide Joseph like a flock!
Seated upon the cherubim, shine forth(ED)
3 upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Stir up your power, and come to save us.
4 (EE)O God, restore us;
light up your face and we shall be saved.
II
5 Lord of hosts,
how long will you smolder in anger
while your people pray?(EF)
6 You have fed them the bread of tears,
made them drink tears in great measure.[ay](EG)
7 You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors;
our enemies deride us.(EH)
8 O God of hosts, restore us;
light up your face and we shall be saved.
III
9 You brought a vine[az] out of Egypt;
you drove out nations and planted it.
10 You cleared out what was before it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
11 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the cedars of God by its branches.
12 It sent out its boughs as far as the sea,[ba]
its shoots as far as the river.
13 Why have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?(EI)
14 The boar from the forest strips the vine;
the beast of the field feeds upon it.(EJ)
15 Turn back again, God of hosts;
look down from heaven and see;
Visit this vine,
16 the stock your right hand has planted,
and the son[bb] whom you made strong for yourself.
17 Those who would burn or cut it down—
may they perish at your rebuke.
18 May your hand be with the man on your right,[bc]
with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
19 Then we will not withdraw from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
20 Lord God of hosts, restore us;
light up your face and we shall be saved.
Psalm 81[bd]
An Admonition to Fidelity
1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.”[be] Of Asaph.
I
2 Sing joyfully to God our strength;(EK)
raise loud shouts to the God of Jacob!
3 Take up a melody, sound the timbrel,
the pleasant lyre with a harp.
4 [bf]Blow the shofar at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.(EL)
5 For this is a law for Israel,
an edict of the God of Jacob,(EM)
6 He made it a decree for Joseph
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
II
7 [bg]I heard a tongue I did not know:
“I removed his shoulder from the burden;[bh]
his hands moved away from the basket.(EN)
8 In distress you called and I rescued you;
I answered you in secret with thunder;
At the waters of Meribah[bi] I tested you:(EO) 9 ‘Listen, my people, I will testify against you
Selah
If only you will listen to me, Israel!(EP)
10 There shall be no foreign god among you;[bj](EQ)
you shall not bow down to an alien god.
11 ‘I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth that I may fill it.’
12 But my people did not listen to my words;
Israel would not submit to me.
13 So I thrust them away to the hardness of their heart;
‘Let them walk in their own machinations.’(ER)
14 O that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways,(ES)
15 In a moment I would humble their foes,
and turn back my hand against their oppressors.(ET)
16 Those who hate the Lord will try flattering him,
but their fate is fixed forever.
17 But Israel I will feed with the finest wheat,
I will satisfy them with honey from the rock.”(EU)
Psalm 82[bk]
The Downfall of Unjust Gods
1 A psalm of Asaph.
I
God takes a stand in the divine council,
gives judgment in the midst of the gods.(EV)
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and favor the cause of the wicked?(EW)
Selah
3 “Defend the lowly and fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Rescue the lowly and poor;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”(EX)
II
5 [bl]The gods neither know nor understand,
wandering about in darkness,
and all the world’s foundations shake.
6 I declare: “Gods though you be,[bm](EY)
offspring of the Most High all of you,
7 Yet like any mortal you shall die;
like any prince you shall fall.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth,[bn]
for yours are all the nations.
Psalm 83[bo]
Prayer Against a Hostile Alliance
1 A song; a psalm of Asaph.
I
2 God, do not be silent;
God, do not be deaf or remain unmoved!(EZ)
3 See how your enemies rage;
your foes proudly raise their heads.
4 They conspire against your people,
plot against those you protect.(FA)
5 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let Israel’s name be remembered no more!”
6 They scheme with one mind,
they have entered into a covenant against you:(FB)
7 [bp]The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,(FC)
8 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,(FD)
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.(FE)
9 Assyria, too, in league with them,
backs the descendants of Lot.
Selah
II
10 [bq]Deal with them as with Midian;
as with Sisera and Jabin at the wadi Kishon,(FF)
11 Those destroyed at Endor,
who became dung for the ground.(FG)
12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
13 Who made a plan together,
“Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God.”
14 My God, make them like tumbleweed,
into chaff flying before the wind.(FH)
15 As a fire raging through a forest,
a flame setting mountains ablaze,(FI)
16 Pursue them with your tempest;
terrify them with your storm-wind.
17 Cover their faces with shame,
till they seek your name,[br] Lord.
18 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever;
let them perish in disgrace.
19 Let them know that your name is Lord,
you alone are the Most High over all the earth.(FJ)
Psalm 84[bs]
Prayer of a Pilgrim to Jerusalem
1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.” A psalm of the Korahites.
I
2 How lovely your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!(FK)
3 My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord.(FL)
My heart and flesh cry out
for the living God.
4 [bt]As the sparrow finds a home
and the swallow a nest to settle her young,
My home is by your altars,
Lord of hosts, my king and my God!(FM)
5 Blessed are those who dwell in your house!
They never cease to praise you.
Selah
II
6 Blessed the man who finds refuge in you,
in their hearts are pilgrim roads.
7 As they pass through the Baca valley,[bu]
they find spring water to drink.
The early rain covers it with blessings.
8 They will go from strength to strength[bv]
and see the God of gods on Zion.
III
9 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.
Selah
10 [bw]O God, watch over our shield;
look upon the face of your anointed.(FN)
IV
11 Better one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere.
Better the threshold of the house of my God
than a home in the tents of the wicked.
12 For a sun and shield is the Lord God,
bestowing all grace and glory.
The Lord withholds no good thing
from those who walk without reproach.
13 O Lord of hosts,
blessed the man who trusts in you!
Psalm 85[bx]
Prayer for Divine Favor
1 For the leader. A psalm of the Korahites.
I
2 You once favored, Lord, your land,
restored the captives of Jacob.(FO)
3 You forgave the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sins.
Selah
4 You withdrew all your wrath,
turned back from your burning anger.(FP)
II
5 Restore us, God of our salvation;
let go of your displeasure with us.(FQ)
6 Will you be angry with us forever,
prolong your anger for all generations?(FR)
7 Certainly you will again restore our life,
that your people may rejoice in you.
8 Show us, Lord, your mercy;
grant us your salvation.
III
9 [by]I will listen for what God, the Lord, has to say;
surely he will speak of peace
To his people and to his faithful.
May they not turn to foolishness!
10 Near indeed is his salvation for those who fear him;
glory will dwell in our land.
11 [bz]Love and truth will meet;
justice and peace will kiss.(FS)
12 Truth will spring from the earth;
justice will look down from heaven.(FT)
13 Yes, the Lord will grant his bounty;
our land will yield its produce.(FU)
14 Justice will march before him,
and make a way for his footsteps.
Psalm 86[ca]
Prayer in Time of Distress
1 A prayer of David.
I
Incline your ear, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and oppressed.
2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 be gracious to me, Lord;
to you I call all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant;
to you, Lord, I lift up my soul.(FV)
5 Lord, you are good and forgiving,
most merciful to all who call on you.(FW)
6 Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my cry for help.(FX)
7 On the day of my distress I call to you,
for you will answer me.
II
8 None among the gods can equal you, O Lord;
nor can their deeds compare to yours.(FY)
9 All the nations you have made shall come
to bow before you, Lord,
and give honor to your name.(FZ)
10 For you are great and do wondrous deeds;
and you alone are God.
III
11 Teach me, Lord, your way
that I may walk in your truth,(GA)
single-hearted and revering your name.
12 I will praise you with all my heart,
glorify your name forever, Lord my God.
13 Your mercy to me is great;
you have rescued me from the depths of Sheol.(GB)
14 O God, the arrogant have risen against me;
a ruthless band has sought my life;
to you they pay no heed.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy and truth.(GC)
16 Turn to me, be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the son of your handmaid.(GD)
17 Give me a sign of your favor:
make my enemies see, to their confusion,
that you, Lord, help and comfort me.
Psalm 87[cb]
Zion the True Birthplace
1 (GE)A psalm of the Korahites. A song.
I
His foundation is on holy mountains,
2 The Lord loves the gates[cc] of Zion
more than any dwelling in Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
Selah
II
4 Rahab and Babylon I count
among those who know me.
See, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia,
“This one was born there.”
5 [cd]And of Zion it will be said:
“Each one was born in it.”(GF)
The Most High will establish it;(GG)
6 the Lord notes in the register of the peoples:
“This one was born there.”(GH)
Selah
7 So singers and dancers:
“All my springs are in you.”(GI)
Psalm 88[ce]
A Despairing Lament
1 A song; a psalm of the Korahites. For the leader; according to Mahalath. For singing; a maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
I
2 Lord, the God of my salvation, I call out by day;
at night I cry aloud in your presence.(GJ)
3 Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.(GK)
4 [cf]For my soul is filled with troubles;(GL)
my life draws near to Sheol.
5 I am reckoned with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a warrior without strength.
6 My couch is among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave.
You remember them no more;
they are cut off from your influence.
7 You plunge me into the bottom of the pit,
into the darkness of the abyss.
8 Your wrath lies heavy upon me;
all your waves crash over me.(GM)
Selah
II
9 Because of you my acquaintances shun me;
you make me loathsome to them;(GN)
Caged in, I cannot escape;
10 my eyes grow dim from trouble.
All day I call on you, Lord;
I stretch out my hands to you.
11 [cg]Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades arise and praise you?(GO)
Selah
III
12 Is your mercy proclaimed in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?[ch]
13 Are your marvels declared in the darkness,
your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
IV
14 But I cry out to you, Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
15 Why do you reject my soul, Lord,
and hide your face from me?
16 I have been mortally afflicted since youth;
I have borne your terrors and I am made numb.
17 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.(GP)
18 All day they surge round like a flood;
from every side they encircle me.
19 Because of you friend and neighbor shun me;(GQ)
my only friend is darkness.
Psalm 89[ci]
A Lament over God’s Promise to David
1 A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
A
I
2 I will sing of your mercy forever, Lord(GR)
proclaim your faithfulness through all ages.
3 [cj]For I said, “My mercy is established forever;
my faithfulness will stand as long as the heavens.
4 I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
5 I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”(GS)
Selah
II
6 The heavens praise your marvels, Lord,
your loyalty in the assembly of the holy ones.(GT)
7 Who in the skies ranks with the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the sons of the gods?[ck](GU)
8 A God dreaded in the council of the holy ones,
greater and more awesome than all those around him!
9 Lord, God of hosts, who is like you?
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness surrounds you.
10 You rule the raging sea;(GV)
you still its swelling waves.
11 You crush Rahab[cl] with a mortal blow;
with your strong arm you scatter your foes.
12 Yours are the heavens, yours the earth;
you founded the world and everything in it.(GW)
13 [cm]Zaphon and Amanus you created;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.