Psalm 42-72

Contemporary English Version

⁴ Sorrow floods my heart,
    when I remember
leading the worshipers
    to your house.^[a]
I can still hear them shout
    their joyful praises.
⁵ Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
    I should trust you, Lord.
I will praise you again
because you help me,
⁶     and you are my God.

I am deeply discouraged,
    and so I think about you
here where the Jordan begins
at Mount Hermon
    and at Mount Mizar.^[b]
7 Your vicious waves
    have swept over me
like an angry ocean
    or a roaring waterfall.

⁸ Every day, you are kind,
    and at night
you give me a song
as my prayer to you,
    the God of my life.

⁹ You are my mighty rock.^[c]
    Why have you forgotten me?
Why must enemies mistreat me
    and make me sad?
¹⁰ Even my bones are in pain,
    while all day long
my enemies sneer and ask,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
    I trust you, Lord!
And I will praise you again
because you help me,
    and you are my God.

³ Send your light and your truth
    to guide me.
Let them lead me to your house
    on your sacred mountain.
⁴ Then I will worship
at your altar because you
    make me joyful.
You are my God,
    and I will praise you.
Yes, I will praise you
    as I play my harp.

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
    I trust you, Lord!
And I will praise you again
because you help me,
    and you are my God.

⁴ You are my God and King,
and you give victory^[d]
    to the people of Jacob.
⁵ By your great power,
we knocked our enemies down
    and trampled on them.
⁶ I don't depend on my arrows
    or my sword to save me.
⁷ But you saved us
from our hateful enemies,
    and you put them to shame.
⁸ We boast about you, our God,
    and we are always grateful.

⁹ But now you have rejected us;
you don't lead us into battle,
    and we look foolish.
¹⁰ You made us retreat,
and our enemies have taken
    everything we own.
¹¹ You let us be slaughtered
    like sheep,
and you scattered us
    among the nations.
¹² You sold your people
for little or nothing,
    and you earned no profit.

¹³ You made us look foolish
    to our neighbors;
people who live nearby
    insult us and sneer.
¹⁴ Foreigners joke about us
    and shake their heads.
¹⁵ I am embarrassed every day,
    and I blush with shame.
¹⁶ But others mock and sneer,
as they watch my enemies
    take revenge on me.

¹⁷ All this happened to us,
though we didn't forget you
    or break our agreement.
¹⁸ We always kept you in mind
    and followed your teaching.
¹⁹ But you crushed us,
    and you covered us
with deepest darkness
    where wild animals live.

²⁰ We did not forget you
or lift our hands in prayer
    to foreign gods.
²¹ You would have known it
because you discover
    every secret thought.
^22 (A) We face death all day for you.
We are like sheep on their way
    to be slaughtered.

²³ Wake up! Do something, Lord!
Why are you sleeping?
    Don't desert us forever.
²⁴ Why do you keep looking away?
Don't forget our sufferings
    and all our troubles.
²⁵ We are flat on the ground,
    holding on to the dust.
²⁶ Do something! Help us!
Show how kind you are
    and come to our rescue.

² No one is as handsome as you!
    Your words are always kind.
That is why God
    will always bless you.
³ Mighty king, glorious ruler,
strap on your sword
⁴     and ride out in splendor!
Win victories for truth
    and mercy and justice.
Do fearsome things
    with your powerful arm.
⁵ Send your sharp arrows
    through enemy hearts
and make all nations fall
    at your feet.

^6 (B) You are God, and you will rule
    forever as king.^[e]
Your royal power
    brings about justice.
⁷ You love justice and hate evil.
    And so, your God chose you
and made you happier
    than any of your friends.
⁸ The sweet aroma of the spices
myrrh, aloes, and cassia
    covers your royal robes.
You enjoy the music of harps
in palaces decorated
    with ivory.
⁹ Daughters of kings are here,
and your bride stands
    at your right side,
wearing a wedding gown
    trimmed with pure gold.^[f]

¹⁰ Bride of the king,
    listen carefully to me.
Forget your own people
and your father's family. ¹¹     The king adores you.
He is your master,
    so do what he desires.
¹² All of the richest people
    from the city of Tyre
will try to influence you
¹³     with precious treasures.

Your bride, my king,
    has inward beauty,^[g]
and her wedding gown is woven
    with threads of gold.
¹⁴ Wearing the finest garments,
    she is brought to you,
followed by her young friends,
    the bridesmaids.
¹⁵ Everyone is excited,
as they follow you
    to the royal palace.

¹⁶ Your sons and your grandsons
will also be kings
    as your ancestors were.
You will make them rulers
    everywhere on earth.

¹⁷ I will make your name famous
    from now on,
and you will be praised
    forever and ever.

⁴ A river and its streams
    bring joy to the city,
which is the sacred home
    of God Most High.
⁵ God is in that city,
and it won't be shaken.
    He will help it at dawn.

⁶ Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
But at the voice of God
    the earth itself melts.
⁷ The Lord All-Powerful
    is with us.
The God of Jacob
    is our fortress.

⁸ Come! See the fearsome things
    the Lord has done on earth.
⁹ God brings wars to an end
    all over the world.
He breaks the arrows,
shatters the spears,
    and burns the shields.^[h]
10 Our God says, “Calm down,
    and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
    will honor me.”

¹¹ The Lord All-Powerful
    is with us.
The God of Jacob
    is our fortress.

⁵ God goes up to his throne,
as people shout
    and trumpets blast.
⁶ Sing praises to God our King,
⁷ the ruler of all the earth!
    Praise God with songs.

⁸ God rules the nations
    from his sacred throne.
⁹ Their leaders come together
and are now the people
    of Abraham's God.
All rulers on earth
surrender their weapons,
    and God is greatly praised!

⁴ Kings joined forces
    to attack the city,
⁵ but when they saw it,
they were terrified
    and ran away.
⁶ They trembled all over
    like women giving birth
⁷ or like seagoing ships^[i]
    wrecked by eastern winds.
⁸ We had heard about it,
and now we have seen it
    in the city of our God,
    the Lord All-Powerful.
This is the city that God
    will let stand forever.

⁹ Our God, here in your temple
    we think about your love.
¹⁰ You are famous and praised
    everywhere on earth,
as you win victories
    with your powerful arm.
¹¹ Mount Zion will celebrate,
and all Judah will be glad,
    because you bring justice.

¹² Let's walk around Zion
    and count its towers.
¹³ We will see its strong walls
    and visit each fortress.
Then you can say
    to future generations,
¹⁴ “Our God is like this forever
    and will always^[j] guide us.”

⁵ Why should I be afraid
    in times of trouble,
when I am surrounded
    by vicious enemies?
⁶ They trust in their riches
and brag about
    all their wealth.
⁷ You cannot buy back your life
    or pay off God!
⁸ It costs far too much
    to buy back your life.
You can never pay God enough
⁹ to stay alive forever
    and safe from death.

^10 (D) We see that wise people die,
    and so do stupid fools.
Then their money is left
    for someone else.
¹¹ The grave^[k] will be their home
    forever and ever,
although they once had land
    of their own.
¹² Our human glory disappears,
    and, like animals, we die.

¹³ Here is what happens to fools
and to those who trust
    the words of fools:^[l]
14 They are like sheep
with death as their shepherd,
    leading them to the grave.
In the morning God's people
    will walk all over them,^[m]
as their bodies lie rotting
    in their home, the grave.
¹⁵ But God will rescue me
    from the power of death.

¹⁶ Don't let it bother you
when others get rich
    and live in luxury.
¹⁷ Soon they will die
and all their wealth
    will be left behind.

¹⁸ We humans are praised
    when we do well,
and all of us are glad
    to be alive.
¹⁹ But we each will go down
    to our ancestors,
never again to see
    the light of day.
²⁰ Our human glory disappears,
    and, like animals, we die.

³ Our God approaches,
    but not silently;
a flaming fire comes first,
    and a storm surrounds him.
⁴ God comes to judge his people.
He shouts to the heavens
    and to the earth,
⁵ “Call my followers together!
They offered me a sacrifice,
    and we made an agreement.”

⁶ The heavens announce,
“God is the judge,
    and he is always honest.”

⁷ My people, I am God!
    Israel, I am your God.
Listen to my charges
    against you.
⁸ Although you offer sacrifices
    and always bring gifts,
⁹ I won't accept your offerings
    of bulls and goats.

¹⁰ Every animal in the forest
    belongs to me,
and so do the cattle
    on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know all the birds
    in the mountains,
and every wild creature
    is in my care.

¹² If I were hungry,
    I wouldn't tell you,
because I own the world
    and everything in it.
¹³ I don't eat the meat of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats.
¹⁴ I am God Most High!
    The only sacrifice I want
is for you to be thankful
    and to keep your word.
¹⁵ Pray to me in time of trouble.
I will rescue you,
    and you will honor me.

¹⁶ But to the wicked I say:
    “You don't have the right
to mention my laws or claim
    to keep our agreement!
¹⁷ You refused correction
    and rejected my commands.
¹⁸ You made friends
    with every crook you met,
and you liked people who break
    their wedding vows.
¹⁹ You talked only about violence
    and told nothing but lies;
²⁰ you sat around gossiping,
ruining the reputation
    of your own relatives.”

²¹ When you did all this,
I didn't say a word,
    and you thought,
“God is just like us!”
    But now I will accuse you.
²² You have ignored me!
    So pay close attention
or I will tear you apart,
    and no one can help you.

²³ The sacrifice that honors me
    is a thankful heart.
Obey me,^[n] and I, your God,
    will show my power to save.

⁵ I have sinned and done wrong
    since the day I was born.
⁶ But you want complete honesty,
    so teach me true wisdom.
⁷ Wash me with hyssop^[o]
until I am clean
    and whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me be happy and joyful!
You crushed my bones,
    now let them celebrate.
⁹ Turn your eyes from my sin
    and cover my guilt.
¹⁰ Create pure thoughts in me
    and make me faithful again.
¹¹ Don't chase me away from you
or take your Holy Spirit
    away from me.

¹² Make me as happy as you did
when you saved me;
    make me want to obey!
¹³ I will teach sinners your Law,
    and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Keep me from any deadly sin.
    Only you can save me!
Then I will shout and sing
    about your power to save.

¹⁵ Help me to speak,
    and I will praise you, Lord.
¹⁶ Offerings and sacrifices
    are not what you want.
¹⁷ The way to please you
is to be truly sorry
    deep in our hearts.
This is the kind of sacrifice
    you won't refuse.

¹⁸ Please be willing, Lord,
to help the city of Zion
    and to rebuild its walls.
¹⁹ Then you will be pleased
    with the proper sacrifices,
and we will offer bulls
    on your altar once again.

⁵ God will destroy you forever!
He will grab you and drag you
    from your homes.
You will be uprooted
    and left to die.
⁶ When good people see
    this fearsome sight,
they will laugh and say,
⁷     “Just look at them now!
Instead of trusting God,
they trusted their wealth
    and their cruelty.”

⁸ But I am like an olive tree
    growing in God's house,
and I can count on his love
    forever and ever.
⁹ I will always thank God
    for what he has done;
I will praise his good name
    when his people meet.

² From heaven God
    looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
    to search for him.
³ But all of them
are crooked and corrupt.
    Not one of them does right.

⁴ Won't you lawbreakers learn?
    You refuse to pray,
and you gobble up
    the people of God.
⁵ But you will be terrified
    worse than ever before.
God will scatter the bones
    of his enemies,
and you will be ashamed
    when God rejects you.

⁶ I long for someone from Zion
    to come and save Israel!
Our God, when you bless
    your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
    and Israel will celebrate.

⁴ You will help me, Lord God,
    and keep me from falling;
⁵ you will punish my enemies
    for their evil deeds.
Be my faithful friend
    and destroy them.

⁶ I will bring a gift
and offer a sacrifice
    to you, Lord.
I will praise your name
    because you are good.
⁷ You have rescued me
    from all my troubles,
and my own eyes have seen
    my enemies fall.

⁶ I wish I had wings
    like a dove,
so I could fly far away
    and be at peace.
⁷ I would go and live
    in some distant desert.
⁸ I would quickly find shelter
from howling winds
    and raging storms.

⁹ Confuse my enemies, Lord!
    Upset their plans.
Cruelty and violence
    are all I see in the city,
¹⁰ and they are like guards
    on patrol day and night.
The city is full of trouble,
evil, ¹¹     and corruption.
Troublemakers and liars
    freely roam the streets.

¹² My enemies are not the ones
    who sneer and make fun.
I could put up with that
    or even hide from them.
¹³ But it was my closest friend,
    the one I trusted most.
¹⁴ We enjoyed being together,
when we went with others
    to your house, our God.

¹⁵ All who hate me are controlled
    by the power of evil.
Sentence them to death
and send them down alive
    to the world of the dead.

¹⁶ I ask for your help, Lord God,
    and you will keep me safe.
¹⁷ Morning, noon, and night
you hear my concerns
    and my complaints.
¹⁸ I am attacked from all sides,
but you will rescue me
    unharmed by the battle.
¹⁹ You have always ruled,
    and you will hear me.
You will defeat my enemies
because they won't turn
    and worship you.

²⁰ My friend turned against me
    and broke his promise.
²¹ His words were smoother
than butter, and softer
    than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart,
and he was ready to attack
    with a sword.

²² Our Lord, we belong to you.
We tell you what worries us,
    and you won't let us fall.
²³ But what about those people
    who are cruel and brutal?
You will throw them down
    into the deepest pit
long before their time.
    I trust you, Lord!

⁵ Enemies spend the whole day
    finding fault with me;
all they think about
    is how to do me harm.
⁶ They attack from ambush,
watching my every step
    and hoping to kill me.
⁷ They won't get away^[r]
    with these crimes, God,
because when you get angry,
    you destroy people.

⁸ You have kept record
    of my days of wandering.
You have stored my tears
in your bottle
    and counted each of them.

⁹ When I pray, Lord God,
    my enemies will retreat,
because I know for certain
    that you are with me.
¹⁰ I praise your promises!
¹¹ I trust you and am not afraid.
    No one can harm me.

¹² I will keep my promises
to you, my God,
    and bring you gifts.
¹³ You protected me from death
    and kept me from stumbling,
so that I would please you
and follow the light
    that leads to life.

⁴ My enemies are fierce,
    much worse than lions!
They have spears and arrows
    instead of teeth,
and they have sharp swords
    instead of tongues.

⁵ May you, my God, be honored
    above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.

^6 (L) Enemies set traps for my feet
    and struck me down.
They dug a pit in my path,
    but fell in it themselves.
⁷ I am faithful to you,
    and you can trust me.
I will sing and play music
    for you, my God.
⁸ I feel wide awake!
I will wake up my harp
    and wake up the sun.
⁹ I will praise you, Lord,
    for everyone to hear,
and I will sing hymns to you
    in every nation.
¹⁰ Your love reaches higher
    than the heavens;
your loyalty extends
    beyond the clouds.

¹¹ May you, my God, be honored
    above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.

⁶ My enemies are fierce
    as lions, Lord God!
Shatter their teeth.
    Snatch out their fangs.
⁷ Make them disappear
like leaking water,
    and make their arrows miss.
⁸ Let them dry up like snails
or be like a child that dies
    before seeing the sun.
⁹ Wipe them out quicker
than a pot can be heated
    by setting thorns on fire.^[w]

¹⁰ Good people will be glad
when they see the wicked
    getting what they deserve,
and they will wash their feet
    in their enemies' blood.
¹¹ Everyone will say, “It's true!
    Good people are rewarded.
God does indeed rule the earth
    with justice.”

³ Merciless enemies, Lord,
are hiding and plotting,
    hoping to kill me.
I have not hurt them
    in any way at all.
⁴ But they are ready to attack.
Do something! Help me!
    Look at what's happening.
⁵ Lord God All-Powerful,
    you are the God of Israel.
Punish the other nations
and don't pity those terrible
    and rebellious people.

⁶ My enemies return at evening,
growling like dogs
    roaming the city.
⁷ They curse, and their words
    cut like swords,
as they say to themselves,
    “No one can hear us!”

⁸ You, Lord, laugh at them
    and sneer at the nations.
⁹ You are my mighty fortress,
    and I depend on you.
¹⁰ You love me and will let me
    see my enemies defeated.
¹¹ Don't kill them,
    or everyone may forget!
Just use your mighty power
to make them tremble
    and fall.

You are a shield
    for your people.
¹² My enemies are liars!
So let them be trapped
    by their boastful lies.
¹³ Get angry and destroy them.
    Leave them in ruin.
Then all the nations will know
    that you rule in Israel.

¹⁴ Those liars return at evening,
growling like dogs
    roaming the city.
¹⁵ They search for scraps of food,
and they snarl
    until they are stuffed.

¹⁶ But I will sing about
    your strength, my God,
and I will celebrate
    because of your love.
You are my fortress,
my place of protection
    in times of trouble.
¹⁷ I will sing your praises!
You are my mighty fortress,
    and you love me.

⁴ You gave a signal to those
    who worship you,
so they could escape
    from enemy arrows.^[aa]
5 Answer our prayers, God!
Use your powerful arm
    and give us victory.
Then the people you love
    will be safe.

⁶ Our God, you solemnly promised,
“I would gladly divide up
    the city of Shechem
and give away Succoth Valley
    piece by piece.
⁷ The lands of Gilead
    and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is my war helmet,
and Judah is the symbol
    of my royal power.
⁸ Moab is merely my washbasin.
    Edom belongs to me,
and I shout in triumph
    over the Philistines.”

⁹ Our God, who will bring me
to the fortress,
    or lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have you rejected us
    and deserted our armies?
¹¹ Help us defeat our enemies!
    No one else can rescue us.
¹² You will give us victory
    and crush our enemies.

Lead me to the mighty rock^[ab]
    high above me.
³ You are a strong tower,
where I am safe
    from my enemies.

⁴ Let me live with you forever
and find protection
    under your wings, my God.
⁵ You heard my promises,
    and you have blessed me,
just as you bless everyone
    who worships you.

⁶ Let the king have a long
    and healthy life.
⁷ May he always rule
    with you, God, at his side;
may your love and loyalty
    watch over him.

⁸ I will sing your praises
forever, God, and will always
    keep my promises.

³ I feel like a shaky fence
    or a sagging wall.
How long will all of you
    attack and assault me?
⁴ You want to bring me down
    from my place of honor.
You love to tell lies,
and when your words are kind,
    hatred hides in your heart.

⁵ Only God gives inward peace,
    and I depend on him.
⁶ God alone is the mighty rock
    that keeps me safe,
and he is the fortress
    where I feel secure.
⁷ God saves me and honors me.
He is that mighty rock
    where I find safety.

⁸ Trust God, my friends,
    and always tell him
each of your concerns.
    God is our place of safety.

⁹ We humans are only a breath;
    none of us are truly great.
All of us together weigh less
    than a puff of air.
¹⁰ Don't trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty
    or rely on great wealth.

¹¹ I heard God say two things:
“I am powerful,
^{12     (O)} and I am very kind.”
The Lord rewards each of us
    according to what we do.

² I have seen your power
and your glory
    in the place of worship.
³ Your love means more
than life to me,
    and I praise you.
⁴ As long as I live,
    I will pray to you.
⁵ I will sing joyful praises
and be filled with excitement
    like a guest at a banquet.

⁶ I think about you, God,
    before I go to sleep,
and my thoughts turn to you
    during the night.
⁷ You have helped me,
and I sing happy songs
    in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I stay close to you,
and your powerful arm
    supports me.

⁹ All who want to kill me
    will end up in the ground.
¹⁰ Swords will run them through,
    and wild dogs will eat them.

¹¹ Because of you, our God,
    the king will celebrate
with your faithful followers,
    but liars will be silent.

⁵ They are determined to do evil,
    and they tell themselves,
“Let's set traps!
    No one can see us.”^[ae]
6 They make evil plans and say,
“We'll commit a perfect crime.
    No one knows our thoughts.”^[af]

⁷ But God will shoot his arrows
    and quickly wound them.
⁸ They will be destroyed
    by their own words,
and everyone who sees them
    will tremble with fear.^[ag]
9 They will be afraid and say,
“Look at what God has done
    and keep it all in mind.”

¹⁰ May the Lord bless his people
with peace and happiness
    and let them celebrate.

⁵ Our God, you save us,
and your fearsome deeds answer
    our prayers for justice!
You give hope to people
everywhere on earth,
    even those across the sea.
⁶ You are strong,
and your mighty power
    put the mountains in place.
⁷ You silence the roaring waves
and the noisy shouts
    of the nations.
⁸ People far away marvel
    at your fearsome deeds,
and all who live under the sun
celebrate and sing
    because of you.

⁹ You take care of the earth
and send rain to help the soil
    grow all kinds of crops.
Your rivers never run dry,
and you prepare the earth
    to produce abundant grain.
¹⁰ You water all its fields
    and level the lumpy ground.
You send showers of rain
to soften the soil
    and help the plants sprout.
¹¹ Wherever your footsteps
touch the earth,
    a rich harvest is gathered.
¹² Desert pastures blossom,
    and mountains celebrate.
¹³ Meadows are filled
    with sheep and goats;
valleys overflow with grain
    and echo with joyful songs.

⁵ Come and see the fearsome things
    our God has done!
^6 (Q) When God made the sea dry up,
    our people walked across,
and because of him,
    we celebrated there.
⁷ His mighty power rules forever,
    and nothing the nations do
can be hidden from him.
    So don't turn against God.

⁸ All of you people,
come praise our God!
    Let his praises be heard.
⁹ God protects us from death
    and keeps us steady.

¹⁰ Our God, you tested us,
    just as silver is tested.
¹¹ You trapped us in a net
    and gave us heavy burdens.
¹² You sent war chariots
    to crush our skulls.
We traveled through fire
    and through floods,
but you brought us
    to a land of plenty.

¹³ I will bring sacrifices
    into your house, my God,
and I will do what I promised
¹⁴     when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice my best sheep
and offer bulls and goats
    on your altar.

¹⁶ All who worship God,
    come here and listen;
I will tell you everything
    God has done for me.
¹⁷ I prayed to the Lord,
    and I praised him.
¹⁸ If my thoughts had been sinful,
he would have refused
    to hear me.
¹⁹ But God did listen
    and answered my prayer.
²⁰ Let's praise God!
He listened when I prayed,
    and he is always kind.

³ Make everyone praise you
    and shout your praises.
⁴ Let the nations celebrate
    with joyful songs,
because you judge fairly
    and guide all nations.
⁵ Make everyone praise you, God,
    and shout your praises.

⁶ Our God has blessed the earth
    with a wonderful harvest!
⁷ Pray for his blessings
    to continue
and for everyone on earth
    to worship our God.

⁴ Our God, you are the one
who rides on the clouds,^[ai]
    and we praise you.
Your name is the Lord,
and we celebrate
    as we worship you.

⁵ Our God, from your sacred home
you take care of orphans
    and protect widows.
⁶ You find families
    for those who are lonely.
You set prisoners free
    and let them prosper,^[aj]
but all who rebel will live
    in a scorching desert.

⁷ You set your people free,
and you led them
    through the desert.
^8 (R) God of Israel,
the earth trembled,
    and rain poured down.
You alone are the God
    who rules from Mount Sinai.
⁹ When your land was thirsty,
you sent showers
    to refresh it.
¹⁰ Your people settled there,
and you were generous
    to everyone in need.

¹¹ You gave the command, Lord,
and a chorus of women told
    what had happened:
¹² “Kings and their armies
    retreated and ran,
and everything they left
    is now being divided.
¹³ And for those who stayed back
    to guard the sheep,
there are metal doves
with silver-coated wings
    and shiny gold feathers.”

¹⁴ God All-Powerful, you scattered
the kings like snow falling
    on Mount Zalmon.^[ak]

¹⁵ Our Lord and our God,
Bashan is a mighty mountain
    covered with peaks.
¹⁶ Why is it jealous of Zion,
the mountain you chose
    as your home forever?

¹⁷ When you, Lord God, appeared
    to your people^[al] at Sinai,
you came with thousands
    of mighty chariots.
^18 (S) When you climbed
    the high mountain,
you took prisoners with you
    and were given gifts.
Your enemies didn't want you
to live there,
    but they gave you gifts.

¹⁹ We praise you, Lord God!
You treat us with kindness
    day after day,
    and you rescue us.
²⁰ You always protect us
    and save us from death.

²¹ Our Lord and our God,
your terrible enemies
    are ready for war,^[am]
but you will crush
    their skulls.
²² You promised to bring them
from Bashan
    and from the deepest sea.
²³ Then we could wash our feet
    in their blood,
and our dogs could chew
    on their bones.

²⁴ We have seen crowds marching
to your place of worship,
    our God and King.
²⁵ Singers come first,
    and then the musicians,
surrounded by young women
    playing tambourines.
²⁶ They come shouting,
“People of Israel,
    praise the Lord God!”
²⁷ The small tribe of Benjamin
    leads the way,
followed by the leaders
    from Judah.
Then come the leaders
    from Zebulun and Naphtali.

²⁸ Our God, show your strength!
    Show us once again.
²⁹ Then kings will bring gifts
to your temple
    in Jerusalem.^[an]

³⁰ Punish that animal
    that lives in the swamp!^[ao]
Punish that nation
whose leaders and people
    are like wild bulls.
Make them come crawling
    with gifts of silver.
Scatter those nations
    that enjoy making war.^[ap]
31 Force the Egyptians to bring
    gifts of bronze;
make the Ethiopians^[aq] hurry
    to offer presents.^[ar]

³² Now sing praises to God!
Every kingdom on earth,
    sing to the Lord!
³³ Praise the one who rides
    across the ancient skies;
listen as he speaks
    with a mighty voice.

³⁴ Tell about God's power!
He is honored in Israel,
    and he rules the skies.
³⁵ The God of Israel is fearsome
    in his temple,
and he makes us strong.
    Let's praise our God!

^4 (T) There are more people
    who hate me for no reason
than there are hairs
    on my head.
Many terrible enemies
    want to destroy me, God.
Am I supposed to give back
    something I didn't steal?
⁵ You know my foolish sins.
    Not one is hidden from you.

⁶ Lord God All-Powerful,
    ruler of Israel,
don't let me embarrass anyone
    who trusts and worships you.
⁷ It is for your sake alone
that I am insulted
    and blush with shame.
⁸ I am like a stranger
    to my relatives
and like a foreigner
    to my own family.

^9 (U) My love for your house
    burns in me like a fire,
and when others insult you,
    they insulted me as well.
¹⁰ I cried and went without food,^[as]
    but they still insulted me.
¹¹ They sneered at me
for wearing sackcloth^[at]
    to show my sorrow.
¹² Rulers and judges gossip
    about me,
and drunkards make up songs
    to mock me.

¹³ But I pray to you, Lord.
    So when the time is right,
answer me and help me
    with your wonderful love.
¹⁴ Don't let me sink in the mud,
but save me from my enemies
    and from the deep water.
¹⁵ Don't let me be
    swept away by a flood
    or drowned in the ocean
    or swallowed by death.

¹⁶ Answer me, Lord!
    You are kind and good.
Pay attention to me!
    You are truly merciful.
¹⁷ Don't turn away from me.
I am your servant,
    and I am in trouble.
Please hurry and help!
¹⁸ Come and save me
    from my enemies.

¹⁹ You know how I am insulted,
    mocked, and disgraced;
you know every one
    of my enemies.
²⁰ I am crushed by insults,
    and I feel sick.
I had hoped for mercy and pity,
    but there was none.
^21 (V) Enemies poisoned my food,
and when I was thirsty,
    they gave me vinegar.

^22 (W) Make their table a trap
    for them and their friends.
²³ Blind them with darkness
    and make them tremble.
²⁴ Show them how angry you are!
    Be furious and catch them.
^25 (X) Destroy their camp
and don't let anyone live
    in their tents.

²⁶ They cause trouble for people
    you have already punished;
their gossip hurts those
    you have wounded.
²⁷ Make them guiltier than ever
    and don't forgive them.
^28 (Y) Wipe their names from the book
    of the living;
remove them from the list
    of the innocent.
²⁹ I am mistreated and in pain.
Protect me, God,
    and keep me safe!

³⁰ I will praise the Lord God
with a song
    and a thankful heart.
³¹ This will please the Lord
better than offering an ox
    or a full-grown bull.
³² When those in need see this,
    they will be happy,
and the Lord's worshipers
    will be encouraged.
³³ The Lord will listen
    when the homeless cry out,
and he will never forget
    his people in prison.

³⁴ Heaven and earth
    will praise our God,
and so will the oceans
    and everything in them.
³⁵ God will rescue Jerusalem,
and he will rebuild
    the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    on their own land,
³⁶ and when the time comes,
their children will inherit
    the land.
Then everyone who loves God
    will also settle there.

⁴ Let your worshipers celebrate
    and be glad because of you.
They love your saving power,
so let them always say,
    “God is wonderful!”
⁵ I am poor and needy,
but you, the Lord God,
    care about me.

You are the one who saves me.
    Please hurry and help!

⁴ Come and save me, Lord God,
from vicious and cruel
    and brutal enemies!
⁵ I depend on you,
and I have trusted you
    since I was young.
⁶ I have relied on you^[av]
    from the day I was born.
You brought me safely
through birth,
    and I always praise you.

⁷ Many people think of me
    as something evil.
But you are my mighty protector,
⁸ and I praise and honor you
    all day long.
⁹ Don't throw me aside
    when I am old;
don't desert me
    when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ My enemies are plotting
    because they want me dead.
¹¹ They say, “Now we'll catch you!
God has deserted you,
    and no one can save you.”
¹² Come closer, God!
    Please hurry and help.
¹³ Embarrass and destroy
    all who want me dead;
disgrace and confuse
    all who want to hurt me.
¹⁴ I will never give up hope
    or stop praising you.
¹⁵ All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
    to save your people.
But you have done much more
    than I could possibly know.
¹⁶ I will praise you, Lord God,
for your mighty deeds
    and your power to save.

¹⁷ You have taught me
    since I was a child,
and I never stop telling about
    your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Don't leave me when I am old
    and my hair turns gray.
Let me tell future generations
    about your mighty power.
¹⁹ Your deeds of kindness
are known in the heavens.
    No one is like you!

²⁰ You made me suffer a lot,
    but you will bring me
back from this deep pit
    and give me new life.
²¹ You will make me truly great
    and take my sorrow away.

²² I will praise you, God,
the Holy One of Israel.
    You are faithful.
I will play the harp
    and sing your praises.
²³ You have rescued me!
    I will celebrate and shout,
singing praises to you
    with all my heart.
²⁴ All day long I will announce
    your power to save.
I will tell how you disgraced
and disappointed those
    who wanted to hurt me.

^8 (Z) Let his kingdom reach
    from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
    across all the earth.
⁹ Force the desert tribes
    to accept his rule,
and make his enemies
    crawl in the dirt.
¹⁰ Force the rulers of Tarshish^[ax]
and of the islands
    to pay taxes to him.
Make the kings of Sheba
    and of Seba^[ay] bring gifts.
¹¹ Make other rulers bow down
    and all nations serve him.

¹² Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
    when they cry out,
and he helps everyone
    who is poor and in need.
¹³ The king has pity
on the weak and the helpless
    and protects those in need.
¹⁴ He cares when they hurt,
and he saves them from cruel
    and violent deaths.

¹⁵ Long live the king!
    Give him gold from Sheba.
Always pray for the king
    and praise him each day.
¹⁶ Let cities overflow with food
and hills be covered with grain,
    just like Mount Lebanon.
Let the people in the cities
    prosper like wild flowers.
¹⁷ May the glory of the king
shine brightly forever
    like the sun in the sky.
Let him make nations prosper
    and learn to praise him.

¹⁸ Lord God of Israel,
we praise you.
    Only you can work miracles.
¹⁹ We will always praise
    your glorious name.
Let your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
    Amen and amen.

²⁰ This ends the prayers
    of David, the son of Jesse.