Psalm 81

An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance

To the Chief Musician. aOn 1An Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Sing aloud to God our strength;

Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.

2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,

The pleasant harp with the lute.

3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,

At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

4 For bthis is a statute for Israel,

A law of the God of Jacob.

5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,

When He went throughout the land of Egypt,

cWhere I heard a language I did not understand.

6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;

His hands were freed from the baskets.

7 dYou called in trouble, and I delivered you;

eI answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I ftested you at the waters of 2Meribah.

Selah

8 “Hear, gO My people, and I will admonish you!

O Israel, if you will listen to Me!

9 There shall be no hforeign god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

10 iI am the Lord your God,

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

jOpen your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But My people would not heed My voice,

And Israel would have knone of Me.

12 lSo I gave them over to 3their own stubborn heart,

To walk in their own counsels.

13 “Oh, mthat My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies,

And turn My hand against their adversaries.

15 nThe haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,

But their 4fate would endure forever.

16 He would ohave fed them also with 5the finest of wheat;

And with honey pfrom the rock I would have satisfied you.”

Psalm 82

A Plea for Justice

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God astands in the congregation of 1the mighty;

He judges among bthe 2gods.

2 How long will you judge unjustly,

And cshow partiality to the wicked?

Selah

3 3Defend the poor and fatherless;

Do justice to the afflicted and dneedy.

4 Deliver the poor and needy;

Free them from the hand of the wicked.

5 They do not know, nor do they understand;

They walk about in darkness;

All the efoundations of the earth are 4unstable.

6 I said, f“You are 5gods,

And all of you are children of the Most High.

7 But you shall die like men,

And fall like one of the princes.”

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;

gFor You shall inherit all nations.

Psalm 83

Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Do anot keep silent, O God!

Do not hold Your peace,

And do not be still, O God!

2 For behold, bYour enemies make a 1tumult;

And those who hate You have 2lifted up their head.

3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,

And consulted together cagainst Your sheltered ones.

4 They have said, “Come, and dlet us cut them off from being a nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one 3consent;

They 4form a confederacy against You:

6 eThe tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;

Moab and the Hagrites;

7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;

Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8 Assyria also has joined with them;

They have helped the children of Lot.

Selah

9 Deal with them as with fMidian,

As with gSisera,

As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,

10 Who perished at En Dor,

hWho became as refuse on the earth.

11 Make their nobles like iOreb and like Zeeb,

Yes, all their princes like jZebah and Zalmunna,

12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves

The pastures of God for a possession.”

13 kO my God, make them like the whirling dust,

lLike the chaff before the wind!

14 As the fire burns the woods,

And as the flame msets the mountains on fire,

15 So pursue them with Your tempest,

And frighten them with Your storm.

16 Fill their faces with shame,

That they may seek Your name, O Lord.

17 Let them be 5confounded and dismayed forever;

Yes, let them be put to shame and perish,

18 nThat they may know that You, whose oname alone is the Lord,

Are pthe Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 84

The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God

To the Chief Musician. aOn 1An Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 How blovely 2is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!

2 cMy soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself,

Where she may lay her young—

Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,

My King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your dhouse;

They will still be praising You.

Selah

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley eof 3Baca,

They make it a spring;

The rain also covers it with 4pools.

7 They go ffrom strength to strength;

5Each one gappears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

Give ear, O God of Jacob!

Selah

9 hO God, behold our shield,

And look upon the face of Your 6anointed.

10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.

I would rather 7be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is ia sun and jshield;

The Lord will give grace and glory;

kNo good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

12 O Lord of hosts,

lBlessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 85

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm aOf the Sons of Korah.

1 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;

You have bbrought back the captivity of Jacob.

2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;

You have covered all their sin.

Selah

3 You have taken away all Your wrath;

You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

4 cRestore us, O God of our salvation,

And cause Your anger toward us to cease.

5 dWill You be angry with us forever?

Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?

6 Will You not erevive us again,

That Your people may rejoice in You?

7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,

And grant us Your salvation.

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak,

For He will speak peace

To His people and to His saints;

But let them not turn back to 1folly.

9 Surely fHis salvation is near to those who fear Him,

gThat glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together;

hRighteousness and peace have kissed.

11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,

And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 iYes, the Lord will give what is good;

And our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before Him,

And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Psalm 86

Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord

A Prayer of David.

1 Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;

For I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my 1life, for I am holy;

You are my God;

Save Your servant who trusts in You!

3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,

For I cry to You all day long.

4 2Rejoice the soul of Your servant,

aFor to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5 For bYou, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

And attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,

For You will answer me.

8 cAmong the gods there is none like You, O Lord;

Nor are there any works like Your works.

9 All nations whom You have made

Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,

And shall glorify Your name.

10 For You are great, and ddo wondrous things;

eYou alone are God.

11 fTeach me Your way, O Lord;

I will walk in Your truth;

3Unite my heart to fear Your name.

12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,

And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

13 For great is Your mercy toward me,

And You have delivered my soul from the depths of 4Sheol.

14 O God, the proud have risen against me,

And a mob of violent men have sought my life,

And have not set You before them.

15 But gYou, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,

Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

16 Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!

Give Your strength to Your servant,

And save the son of Your maidservant.

17 Show me a sign for good,

That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,

Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.