Psalm 1–41
PSALM 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 How blessed is the man who adoes not walk in the bcounsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the 1cpath of sinners,
Nor dsit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his adelight is bin the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates cday and dnight.
3 He will be like aa tree firmly planted by 1streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its 2leaf does not wither;
And 3in whatever he does, bhe prospers.
But they are like achaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore athe wicked will not stand in the bjudgment,
Nor sinners in cthe assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord 1aknows the way of the righteous,
But the way of bthe wicked will perish.
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.
1 Why are athe 1nations in an uproar
And the peoples bdevising a vain thing?
2 The akings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
bAgainst the Lord and against His 1cAnointed, saying,
3 “Let us atear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”
4 He who 1sits in the heavens alaughs,
The Lord bscoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His aanger
And bterrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have 1installed aMy King
Upon Zion, bMy holy mountain.”
7 “I will surely tell of the 1decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are aMy Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and aI will surely give bthe 1nations as Your inheritance,
And the very cends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall 1abreak them with a 2rod of iron,
You shall bshatter them like 3earthenware.’ ”
10 Now therefore, O kings, ashow discernment;
Take warning, O 1judges of the earth.
11 1Worship the Lord with 2areverence
And rejoice with btrembling.
12 1Do homage to athe Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For bHis wrath may 2soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who ctake refuge in Him!
Morning Prayer of Trust in God.
A Psalm of David, when †he fled from Absalom his son.
1 O Lord, how amy adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying 1of my soul,
“There is no 2adeliverance for him in God.”
3Selah.
3 But You, O Lord, are aa shield about me,
My bglory, and the One who clifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He aanswered me from bHis holy 1mountain.
Selah.
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will anot be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have bset themselves against me round about.
7 aArise, O Lord; bsave me, O my God!
For You 1have csmitten all my enemies on the 2cheek;
You 3have dshattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 1aSalvation belongs to the Lord;
Your bblessing 2be upon Your people!
Selah.
Evening Prayer of Trust in God.
†For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1 aAnswer me when bI call, O God 1of my righteousness!
You have 2crelieved me in my distress;
Be dgracious to me and ehear my prayer.
2 O sons of men, how long will amy 1honor become ba reproach?
How long will you love cwhat is worthless and aim at ddeception?
2Selah.
3 But know that the Lord has 1aset apart the bgodly man for Himself;
The Lord chears when I call to Him.
4 1aTremble, 2band do not sin;
3cMeditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.
Selah.
5 Offer 1the asacrifices of righteousness,
And btrust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, “aWho will show us any good?”
bLift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
7 You have put agladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will 1both alie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to bdwell in safety.
Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.
For the choir director; for †flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.
1 aGive ear to my words, O Lord,
2 Heed athe sound of my cry for help, bmy King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3 In the morning, O Lord, 1You will hear my voice;
In the amorning I will order my 2prayer to You and eagerly bwatch.
4 For You are not a God awho takes pleasure in wickedness;
5 The aboastful shall not bstand before Your eyes;
You chate all who do iniquity.
6 You adestroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors bthe man of bloodshed and deceit.
7 But as for me, aby Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
1At Your holy temple I will bbow in creverence for You.
8 O Lord, alead me bin Your righteousness cbecause of 1my foes;
Make Your way 2straight before me.
9 There is anothing 1reliable in 2what they say;
Their binward part is destruction itself.
Their cthroat is an open grave;
They 3flatter with their tongue.
aBy their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions bthrust them out,
For they are crebellious against You.
11 But let all who atake refuge in You bbe glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
That those who dlove Your name may exult in You.
12 For it is You who ablesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You bsurround him with favor as with a shield.
Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.
For the choir director; with stringed instruments, †upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, ado not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am apining away;
bHeal me, O Lord, for cmy bones are dismayed.
3 And my asoul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O Lord—bhow long?
4 Return, O Lord, arescue my 1soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
5 For athere is no 1mention of You in death;
In 2Sheol who will give You thanks?
6 I am aweary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with bmy tears.
7 My aeye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
8 aDepart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord bhas heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord ahas heard my supplication,
The Lord breceives my prayer.
10 All my enemies will abe ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall 1turn back, they will bsuddenly be ashamed.
The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A †Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord •concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 O Lord my God, ain You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and bdeliver me,
2 Or he will tear 1my soul alike a lion,
2Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is ainjustice in my hands,
4 If I have arewarded evil to 1my friend,
Or have bplundered 2him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue 1my soul and overtake 2it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust.
3Selah.
6 aArise, O Lord, in Your anger;
bLift up Yourself against cthe rage of my adversaries,
And darouse Yourself 1for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the apeoples encompass You,
And over 1them return on high.
8 The Lord ajudges the peoples;
1bVindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let athe evil of the wicked come to an end, but bestablish the righteous;
For the righteous God ctries the hearts and 1minds.
Who bsaves the upright in heart.
11 God is a arighteous judge,
And a God who has bindignation every day.
12 If 1a man adoes not repent, He will bsharpen His sword;
He has cbent His bow and 2made it ready.
13 He has also prepared 1for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His aarrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he aconceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has afallen into the hole which he made.
16 His amischief will return upon his own head,
And his bviolence will descend upon 1his own pate.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord aaccording to His righteousness
And will bsing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have 1adisplayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 aFrom the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established 1bstrength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make cthe enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I 1aconsider bYour heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The cmoon and the stars, which You have 2ordained;
4 aWhat is man that You 1take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a alittle lower than 1God,
And bYou crown him with cglory and majesty!
6 You make him to arule over the works of Your hands;
You have bput all things under his feet,
And also the 1beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 aO Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
A Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s Justice.
For the choir director; on †Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.
1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all amy heart;
I will btell of all Your 1wonders.
2 I will be glad and aexult in You;
I will bsing praise to Your name, O cMost High.
They stumble and aperish before You.
4 For You have amaintained 1my just cause;
You have sat on the throne 2bjudging righteously.
5 You have arebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have bblotted out their name forever and ever.
6 1The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very amemory of them has perished.
7 But the aLord 1abides forever;
He has established His bthrone for judgment,
8 And He will ajudge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
9 1The Lord also will be a astronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And 1those who aknow Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not bforsaken those who seek You.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who adwells in Zion;
bDeclare among the peoples His deeds.