Psalm 68a

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

1 May God arise,p may his enemies be scattered;q

may his foes fleer before him.

2 May you blow them away like smoke—s

as wax meltst before the fire,

may the wicked perishu before God.

3 But may the righteous be glad

and rejoicev before God;

may they be happy and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,w

extol him who rides on the cloudsb x;

rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.y

5 A father to the fatherless,z a defender of widows,a

is God in his holy dwelling.b

6 God sets the lonelyc in families,c d

he leads out the prisonerse with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.f

7 When you, God, went outg before your people,

when you marched through the wilderness,d h

8 the earth shook,i the heavens poured down rain,j

before God, the One of Sinai,k

before God, the God of Israel.l

9 You gave abundant showers,m O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

10 Your people settled in it,

and from your bounty,n God, you providedo for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,

and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:p

12 “Kings and armies fleeq in haste;

the women at home divide the plunder.r

13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,e s

the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,

its feathers with shining gold.”

14 When the Almightyf scatteredt the kings in the land,

it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.u

15 Mount Bashan,v majestic mountain,w

Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,

16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,

at the mountain where God choosesx to reign,

where the Lord himself will dwell forever?y

17 The chariotsz of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;a

the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.g

18 When you ascendedb on high,c

you took many captives;d

you received gifts from people,e

even fromh the rebelliousf—

that you,i Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,g

who daily bears our burdens.h

20 Our God is a God who saves;i

from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.j

21 Surely God will crush the headsk of his enemies,

the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;

I will bring them from the depths of the sea,l

23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,m

while the tongues of your dogsn have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,

the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.o

25 In front are the singers,p after them the musicians;q

with them are the young women playing the timbrels.r

26 Praise God in the great congregation;s

praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.t

27 There is the little tribeu of Benjamin,v leading them,

there the great throng of Judah’s princes,

and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.w

28 Summon your power,x Godj;

show us your strength,y our God, as you have donez before.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings will bring you gifts.a

30 Rebuke the beastb among the reeds,c

the herd of bullsd among the calves of the nations.

Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.

Scatter the nationse who delight in war.f

31 Envoys will come from Egypt;g

Cushk h will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,i

sing praisej to the Lord,

33 to him who ridesk across the highest …

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

1 Endow the king with your justice,p O God,

the royal son with your righteousness.

2 May he judge your people in righteousness,q

your afflicted ones with justice.

3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

the hills the fruit of righteousness.

4 May he defend the afflictedr among the people

and save the children of the needy;s

may he crush the oppressor.t

5 May he endurea u as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.v

6 May he be like rainw falling on a mown field,

like showers watering the earth.

7 In his days may the righteous flourishx

and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

8 May he rule from sea to sea

and from the Riverb y to the ends of the earth.z

9 May the desert tribes bow before him

and his enemies lick the dust.

10 May the kings of Tarshisha and of distant shoresb

bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Shebac and Seba

present him gifts.d

11 May all kings bow downe to him

and all nations servef him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.

13 He will take pityg on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

14 He will rescueh them from oppression and violence,

for preciousi is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!

May gold from Shebaj be given him.

May people ever pray for him

and bless him all day long.k

16 May grainl abound throughout the land;

on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the cropsm flourish like Lebanonn

and thrivec like the grass of the field.o

17 May his name endure forever;p

may it continue as long as the sun.q

Then all nations will be blessed through him,d

and they will call him blessed.r

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,s

who alone does marvelous deeds.t

19 Praise be to his glorious nameu forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.v

Amen and Amen.w

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.x

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

1 Hear me, Lord, and answerg me,

for I am poor and needy.

2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;

save your servant who trusts in you.h

You are my God; 3 have mercyi on me, Lord,

for I callj to you all day long.

4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,

for I put my trustk in you.

5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,

abounding in lovel to all who call to you.

6 Hear my prayer, Lord;

listen to my crym for mercy.

7 When I am in distress,n I callo to you,

because you answerp me.

8 Among the godsq there is none like you,r Lord;

no deeds can compare with yours.

9 All the nations you have made

will comes and worshipt before you, Lord;

they will bring gloryu to your name.

10 For you are greatv and do marvelous deeds;w

you alonex are God.

11 Teach me your way,y Lord,

that I may rely on your faithfulness;z

give me an undivideda heart,

that I may fearb your name.

12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;c

I will glorify your name forever.

13 For great is your love toward me;

you have delivered med from the depths,

from the realm of the dead.e

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;

ruthless people are trying to kill me—

they have no regard for you.f

15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and graciousg God,

slow to anger,h aboundingi in love and faithfulness.j

16 Turn to mek and have mercyl on me;

show your strengthm in behalf of your servant;

save me, because I serve you

just as my mother did.n

17 Give me a signo of your goodness,

that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,

for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.