Psalm 69a

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

1 Save me, O God,

for the watersu have come up to my neck.v

2 I sink in the miry depths,w

where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters;

the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help;x

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail,y

looking for my God.

4 Those who hate mez without reasona

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause,b

those who seek to destroy me.c

I am forced to restore

what I did not steal.

5 You, God, know my folly;d

my guilt is not hidden from you.e

6 Lord, the Lord Almighty,

may those who hope in you

not be disgraced because of me;

God of Israel,

may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me.

7 For I endure scornf for your sake,g

and shame covers my face.h

8 I am a foreigner to my own family,

a stranger to my own mother’s children;i

9 for zeal for your house consumes me,j

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.k

10 When I weep and fast,l

I must endure scorn;

11 when I put on sackcloth,m

people make sport of me.

12 Those who sit at the gaten mock me,

and I am the song of the drunkards.o

13 But I pray to you, Lord,

in the time of your favor;p

in your great love,q O God,

answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Rescue me from the mire,

do not let me sink;

deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.r

15 Do not let the floodwaterss engulf me

or the depths swallow me upt

or the pit close its mouth over me.u

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;v

in your great mercy turn to me.

17 Do not hide your facew from your servant;

answer me quickly,x for I am in trouble.y

18 Come near and rescue me;

deliverz me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,a disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

20 Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters,b but I found none.c

21 They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegard for my thirst.e

22 May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution andb a trap.f

23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.g

24 Pour out your wrathh on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

25 May their place be deserted;i

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.j

26 For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.k

27 Charge them with crime upon crime;l

do not let them share in your salvation.m

28 May they be blotted out of the book of lifen

and not be listed with the righteous.o

29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—

may your salvation, God, protect me.p

30 I will praise God’s name in songq

and glorify himr with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hooves.s

32 The poor will see and be gladt—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!u

33 The Lord hears the needyv

and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,w

35 for God will save Zionx

and rebuild the cities of Judah.y

Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,z

and those who love his name will dwell there.a

Psalm 28

Of David.

1 To you, Lord, I call;

you are my Rock,

do not turn a deaf earb to me.

For if you remain silent,c

I will be like those who go down to the pit.d

2 Hear my cry for mercye

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my handsf

toward your Most Holy Place.g

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.h

4 Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have donei

and bring back on them what they deserve.j

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord

and what his hands have done,k

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the Lord,l

for he has heard my cry for mercy.m

7 The Lord is my strengthn and my shield;

my heart trustso in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,p

and with my song I praise him.q

8 The Lord is the strengthr of his people,

a fortress of salvations for his anointed one.t

9 Save your peopleu and bless your inheritance;v

be their shepherdw and carry themx forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord,y you heavenly beings,z

ascribe to the Lord glorya and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of hisa holiness.b

3 The voicec of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of gloryd thunders,e

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.f

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;g

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.h

6 He makes Lebanon leapi like a calf,

Sirionb j like a young wild ox.k

7 The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.l

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.m

9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaksc n

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”o

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;p

the Lord is enthroned as King forever.q

11 The Lord gives strength to his people;r

the Lord blesses his people with peace.s

Psalm 30a

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.b Of David.

1 I will exaltt you, Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depthsu

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.v

2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,w

and you healed me.x

3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;y

you spared me from going down to the pit.z

4 Singa the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;b

praise his holy name.c

5 For his angerd lasts only a moment,e

but his favor lasts a lifetime;f

weepingg may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.h

6 When I felt secure, I said,

“I will never be shaken.”i

7 Lord, when you favored me,

you made my royal mountainc stand firm;

but when you hid your face,j

I was dismayed.

8 To 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?k

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?l

10 Hear,m Lord, and be merciful to me;n

Lord, be my help.o”

11 You turned my wailingp into dancing;q

you removed my sackclothr and clothed me with joy,s

12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praiset you forever.u

Psalm 31a

31:1–4pp—Ps 71:1–3

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken …

Psalm 28

Of David.

1 To you, Lord, I call;

you are my Rock,

do not turn a deaf earb to me.

For if you remain silent,c

I will be like those who go down to the pit.d

2 Hear my cry for mercye

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my handsf

toward your Most Holy Place.g

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.h

4 Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have donei

and bring back on them what they deserve.j

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord

and what his hands have done,k

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the Lord,l

for he has heard my cry for mercy.m

7 The Lord is my strengthn and my shield;

my heart trustso in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,p

and with my song I praise him.q

8 The Lord is the strengthr of his people,

a fortress of salvations for his anointed one.t

9 Save your peopleu and bless your inheritance;v

be their shepherdw and carry themx forever.