Book one (Psalms 1–41)
Psalm 1
1Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
4But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 2
1Why are the nations so angry?
Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
2The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
the rulers plot together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
3“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
“and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
4But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
5Then in anger he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury.
6For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne
in Jerusalem,[a] on my holy mountain.”
7The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
“The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son.[b]
Today I have become your Father.[c]
8Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
the whole earth as your possession.
9You will break[d] them with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.’”
10Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12Submit to God’s royal son,[e] or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 3
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
1O Lord, I have so many enemies;
so many are against me.
2So many are saying,
“God will never rescue him!” Interlude[f]
3But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
4I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude
5I lay down and slept,
yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.
6I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
who surround me on every side.
7Arise, O Lord!
Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8Victory comes from you, O Lord.
May you bless your people. Interlude
Psalm 4
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
3You can be sure of this:
The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
4Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
5Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.
6Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Psalm 5
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.
1O Lord, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
2Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.
3Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
4O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
5Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
6You will destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.
7Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
8Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
9My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.[g]
10O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love.
Psalm 6
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.[h]
1O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage.
2Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3I am sick at heart.
How long, O Lord, until you restore me?
4Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
Save me because of your unfailing love.
5For the dead do not remember you.
Who can praise you from the grave?[i]
6I am worn out from sobbing.
All night I flood my bed with weeping,
drenching it with my tears.
7My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
8Go away, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord will answer my prayer.
10May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.
Psalm 7
A psalm[j] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.
1I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
2If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3O Lord my God, if I have done wrong
or am guilty of injustice,
4if I have betrayed a friend
or plundered my enemy without cause,
5then let my enemies capture me.
Let them trample me into the ground
and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude
6Arise, O Lord, in anger!
Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
7Gather the nations before you.
Rule over them from on high.
8The Lord judges the nations.
Declare me righteous, O Lord,
for I am innocent, O Most High!
9End the evil of those who are wicked,
and defend the righteous.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,
O righteous God.
10God is my shield,
saving those whose hearts are true and right.
11God is an honest judge.
He is angry with the wicked every day.
12If a person does not repent,
God[k] will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13He will prepare his deadly weapons
and shoot his flaming arrows.
14The wicked conceive evil;
they are pregnant with trouble
and give birth to lies.
15They dig a deep pit to trap others,
then fall into it themselves.
16The trouble they make for others backfires on them.
The violence they plan falls on their own heads.
17I will thank the Lord because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 8
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.[l]
1O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,[m]
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.
3When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?[n]
5Yet you made them only a little lower than God[o]
and crowned them[p] with glory and honor.
6You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Psalm 9
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Death of the Son.”
1I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3My enemies retreated;
they staggered and died when you appeared.
4For you have judged in my favor;
from your throne you have judged with fairness.
5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have erased their names forever.
6The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
7But the Lord reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
11Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.[q]
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.
13Lord, have mercy on me.
See how my enemies torment me.
Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
15The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16The Lord is known for his justice.
The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude[r]
17The wicked will go down to the grave.[s]
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18But the needy will not be ignored forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
19Arise, O Lord!
Do not let mere mortals defy you!
Judge the nations!
20Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.
Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude
Psalm 10
1O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
4The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
5Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They sneer at all their enemies.
6They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”
7Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.[t]
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8They lurk in ambush in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They are always searching for helpless victims.
9Like lions crouched in hiding,
they wait to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
and drag them away in nets.
10Their helpless victims are crushed;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”
12Arise, O Lord!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not ignore the helpless!
13Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14But you see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.
15Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16The Lord is king forever and ever!
The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them.
Footnotes
- 2:6 Hebrew on Zion.
- 2:7a Or Son; also in 2:12.
- 2:7b Or Today I reveal you as my son.
- 2:9 Greek version reads rule. Compare Rev 2:27.
- 2:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 3:2 Hebrew Selah. The meaning of this word is uncertain, though it is probably a musical or literary term. It is rendered Interlude throughout the Psalms.
- 5:9 Greek version reads with lies. Compare Rom 3:13.
- 6:Title Hebrew with stringed instruments; according to the sheminith.
- 6:5 Hebrew from Sheol?
- 7:Title Hebrew A shiggaion, probably indicating a musical setting for the psalm.
- 7:12 Hebrew he.
- 8:Title Hebrew according to the gittith.
- 8:2 Greek version reads to give you praise. Compare Matt 21:16.
- 8:4 Hebrew what is man that you should think of him, / the son of man that you should care for him?
- 8:5a Or Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels; Hebrew reads Yet you made him [i.e., man] a little lower than Elohim.
- 8:5b Hebrew him [i.e., man]; similarly in 8:6.
- 9:11 Hebrew Zion; also in 9:14.
- 9:16 Hebrew Higgaion Selah. The meaning of this phrase is uncertain.
- 9:17 Hebrew to Sheol.
- 10:7 Greek version reads cursing and bitterness. Compare Rom 3:14.