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Psalm 42-72
Good News Translation
Psalm 42-72
Good News Translation
BOOK TWO(A)
The Prayer of Someone in Exile[a]
42 As a deer longs for a stream of cool water,
so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for you, the living God.
When can I go and worship in your presence?
3 Day and night I cry,
and tears are my only food;
all the time my enemies ask me,
“Where is your God?”
4 My heart breaks when I remember the past,
when I went with the crowds to the house of God
and led them as they walked along,
a happy crowd, singing and shouting praise to God.
5 Why am I so sad?
Why am I so troubled?
I will put my hope in God,
and once again I will praise him,
my savior and my God.
6-7 Here in exile my heart is breaking,
and so I turn my thoughts to him.
He has sent waves of sorrow over my soul;
chaos roars at me like a flood,
like waterfalls thundering down to the Jordan
from Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar.
8 May the Lord show his constant love during the day,
so that I may have a song at night,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 To God, my defender, I say,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go on suffering
from the cruelty of my enemies?”
10 I am crushed by their insults,
as they keep on asking me,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why am I so sad?
Why am I so troubled?
I will put my hope in God,
and once again I will praise him,
my savior and my God.
The Prayer of Someone in Exile (B)
43 O God, declare me innocent,
and defend my cause against the ungodly;
deliver me from lying and evil people!
2 You are my protector;
why have you abandoned me?
Why must I go on suffering
from the cruelty of my enemies?
3 Send your light and your truth;
may they lead me
and bring me back to Zion, your sacred hill,[b]
and to your Temple, where you live.
4 Then I will go to your altar, O God;
you are the source of my happiness.
I will play my harp and sing praise to you,
O God, my God.
5 Why am I so sad?
Why am I so troubled?
I will put my hope in God,
and once again I will praise him,
my savior and my God.
A Prayer for Protection[c]
44 With our own ears we have heard it, O God—
our ancestors have told us about it,
about the great things you did in their time,
in the days of long ago:
2 how you yourself drove out the heathen
and established your people in their land;
how you punished the other nations
and caused your own to prosper.
3 Your people did not conquer the land with their swords;
they did not win it by their own power;
it was by your power and your strength,
by the assurance of your presence,
which showed that you loved them.
4 You are my king and my God;
you give[d] victory to your people,
5 and by your power we defeat our enemies.
6 I do not trust in my bow
or in my sword to save me;
7 but you have saved us from our enemies
and defeated those who hate us.
8 We will always praise you
and give thanks to you forever.
9 But now you have rejected us and let us be defeated;
you no longer march out with our armies.
10 You made us run from our enemies,
and they took for themselves what was ours.
11 You allowed us to be slaughtered like sheep;
you scattered us in foreign countries.
12 You sold your own people for a small price
as though they had little value.[e]
13 Our neighbors see what you did to us,
and they mock us and laugh at us.
14 You have made us a joke among the nations;
they shake their heads at us in scorn.
15 I am always in disgrace;
I am covered with shame
16 from hearing the sneers and insults
of my enemies and those who hate me.
17 All this has happened to us,
even though we have not forgotten you
or broken the covenant you made with us.
18 We have not been disloyal to you;
we have not disobeyed your commands.
19 Yet you left us helpless among wild animals;
you abandoned us in deepest darkness.
20 If we had stopped worshiping our God
and prayed to a foreign god,
21 you would surely have discovered it,
because you know our secret thoughts.
22 (C)But it is on your account that we are being killed all the time,
that we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up, Lord! Why are you asleep?
Rouse yourself Don't reject us forever!
24 Why are you hiding from us?
Don't forget our suffering and trouble!
25 We fall crushed to the ground;
we lie defeated in the dust.
26 Come to our aid!
Because of your constant love save us!
A Royal Wedding Song[f]
45 Beautiful words fill my mind,
as I compose this song for the king.
Like the pen of a good writer
my tongue is ready with a poem.
2 You are the most handsome of men;
you are an eloquent speaker.
God has always blessed you.
3 Buckle on your sword, mighty king;
you are glorious and majestic.
4 Ride on in majesty to victory
for the defense of truth and justice![g]
Your strength will win you great victories!
5 Your arrows are sharp,
they pierce the hearts of your enemies;
nations fall down at your feet.
6 (D)The kingdom that God has given you[h]
will last forever and ever.
You rule over your people with justice;
7 you love what is right and hate what is evil.
That is why God, your God, has chosen you
and has poured out more happiness on you
than on any other king.
8 The perfume of myrrh and aloes is on your clothes;
musicians entertain you in palaces decorated with ivory.
9 Among the women of your court are daughters of kings,
and at the right of your throne stands the queen,
wearing ornaments of finest gold.
10 Bride of the king, listen to what I say—
forget your people and your relatives.
11 Your beauty will make the king desire you;
he is your master, so you must obey him.
12 The people of Tyre will bring you gifts;
rich people will try to win your favor.
13 The princess is in the palace—how beautiful she is!
Her gown is made of gold thread.
14 In her colorful gown she is led to the king,
followed by her bridesmaids,
and they also are brought to him.
15 With joy and gladness they come
and enter the king's palace.
16 You, my king, will have many sons
to succeed your ancestors as kings,
and you will make them rulers over the whole earth.
17 My song will keep your fame alive forever,
and everyone will praise you for all time to come.
God Is with Us[i]
46 God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
3 even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
4 There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
5 God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
6 Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
9 He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
10 “Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
The Supreme Ruler[j]
47 Clap your hands for joy, all peoples!
Praise God with loud songs!
2 The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared;
he is a great king, ruling over all the world.
3 He gave us victory over the peoples;
he made us rule over the nations.
4 He chose for us the land where we live,
the proud possession of his people, whom he loves.
5 God goes up to his throne.
There are shouts of joy and the blast of trumpets,
as the Lord goes up.
6 Sing praise to God;
sing praise to our king!
7 God is king over all the world;
praise him with songs!
8 God sits on his sacred throne;
he rules over the nations.
9 The rulers of the nations assemble
with the people[k] of the God of Abraham.
More powerful than all armies is he;
he rules supreme.
Zion, the City of God[l]
48 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised
in the city of our God, on his sacred hill.[m]
2 (E)Zion, the mountain of God, is high and beautiful;
the city of the great king brings joy to all the world.
3 God has shown that there is safety with him
inside the fortresses of the city.
4 The kings gathered together
and came to attack Mount Zion.
5 But when they saw it, they were amazed;
they were afraid and ran away.
6 There they were seized with fear and anguish,
like a woman about to bear a child,
7 like ships tossing in a furious storm.
8 We have heard what God has done,
and now we have seen it
in the city of our God, the Lord Almighty;
he will keep the city safe forever.
9 Inside your Temple, O God,
we think of your constant love.
10 You are praised by people everywhere,
and your fame extends over all the earth.
You rule with justice;
11 let the people of Zion be glad!
You give right judgments;
let there be joy in the cities of Judah!
12 People of God, walk around Zion and count the towers;
13 take notice of the walls and examine the fortresses,
so that you may tell the next generation:
14 “This God is our God forever and ever;
he will lead us for all time to come.”
The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches[n]
49 Hear this, everyone!
Listen, all people everywhere,
2 great and small alike,
rich and poor together.
3 My thoughts will be clear;
I will speak words of wisdom.
4 I will turn my attention to proverbs
and explain their meaning as I play the harp.
5 I am not afraid in times of danger
when I am surrounded by enemies,
6 by evil people who trust in their riches
and boast of their great wealth.
7 We can never redeem ourselves;
we cannot pay God the price for our lives,
8 because the payment for a human life is too great.
What we could pay would never be enough
9 to keep us from the grave,
to let us live forever.
10 (F)Anyone can see that even the wise die,
as well as the foolish and stupid.
They all leave their riches to their descendants.
11 Their graves[o] are their homes forever;
there they stay for all time,
though they once had lands of their own.
12 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
13 See what happens to those who trust in themselves,
the fate of those[p] who are satisfied with their wealth—
14 they are doomed to die like sheep,
and Death will be their shepherd.
The righteous will triumph over them,
as their bodies quickly decay
in the world of the dead far from their homes.[q]
15 But God will rescue me;
he will save me from the power of death.
16 Don't be upset when someone becomes rich,
when his wealth grows even greater;
17 he cannot take it with him when he dies;
his wealth will not go with him to the grave.
18 Even if someone is satisfied with this life
and is praised because he is successful,
19 he will join all his ancestors in death,
where the darkness lasts forever.
20 Our greatness cannot keep us from death;
we will still die like the animals.
True Worship[r]
50 The Almighty God, the Lord, speaks;
he calls to the whole earth from east to west.
2 God shines from Zion,
the city perfect in its beauty.
3 Our God is coming, but not in silence;
a raging fire is in front of him,
a furious storm around him.
4 He calls heaven and earth as witnesses
to see him judge his people.
5 He says, “Gather my faithful people to me,
those who made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice.”
6 The heavens proclaim that God is righteous,
that he himself is judge.
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not reprimand you because of your sacrifices
and the burnt offerings you always bring me.
9 And yet I do not need bulls from your farms
or goats from your flocks;
10 all the animals in the forest are mine
and the cattle on thousands of hills.
11 All the wild birds are mine
and all living things in the fields.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food,
for the world and everything in it is mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God,[s]
and give the Almighty all that you promised.
15 Call to me when trouble comes;
I will save you,
and you will praise me.”
16 But God says to the wicked,
“Why should you recite my commandments?
Why should you talk about my covenant?
17 You refuse to let me correct you;
you reject my commands.
18 You become the friend of every thief you see,
and you associate with adulterers.
19 “You are always ready to speak evil;
you never hesitate to tell lies.
20 You are ready to accuse your own relatives
and to find fault with them.
21 You have done all this, and I have said nothing,
so you thought that I am like you.
But now I reprimand you
and make the matter plain to you.
22 “Listen to this, you that ignore me,
or I will destroy you,
and there will be no one to save you.
23 Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honors me,
and I will surely save all who obey me.”
(G)A Prayer for Forgiveness[t]
51 Be merciful to me, O God,
because of your constant love.
Because of your great mercy
wipe away my sins!
2 Wash away all my evil
and make me clean from my sin!
3 I recognize my faults;
I am always conscious of my sins.
4 (H)I have sinned against you—only against you—
and done what you consider evil.
So you are right in judging me;
you are justified in condemning me.
5 I have been evil from the day I was born;
from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful.
6 Sincerity and truth are what you require;
fill my mind with your wisdom.
7 Remove my sin, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
and though you have crushed me and broken me,
I will be happy once again.
9 Close your eyes to my sins
and wipe out all my evil.
10 Create a pure heart in me, O God,
and put a new and loyal spirit in me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence;
do not take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach sinners your commands,
and they will turn back to you.
14 Spare my life, O God, and save me,[u]
and I will gladly proclaim your righteousness.
15 Help me to speak, Lord,
and I will praise you.
16 You do not want sacrifices,
or I would offer them;
you are not pleased with burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God;
you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.
18 O God, be kind to Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with proper sacrifices
and with our burnt offerings;
and bulls will be sacrificed on your altar.
(I)God's Judgment and Grace[v]
52 Why do you boast, great one, of your evil?
God's faithfulness is eternal.
2 You make plans to ruin others;
your tongue is like a sharp razor.
You are always inventing lies.
3 You love evil more than good
and falsehood more than truth.
4 You love to hurt people with your words, you liar!
5 So God will ruin you forever;
he will take hold of you and snatch you from your home;
he will remove you from the world of the living.
6 Righteous people will see this and be afraid;
then they will laugh at you and say,
7 “Look, here is someone who did not depend on God for safety,
but trusted instead in great wealth
and looked for security in being wicked.”
8 But I am like an olive tree growing in the house of God;
I trust in his constant love forever and ever.
9 I will always thank you, God, for what you have done;
in the presence of your people
I will proclaim that you are good.
Human Wickedness[w](J)
53 (K)Fools say to themselves,
“There is no God.”
They are all corrupt,
and they have done terrible things;
there is no one who does what is right.
2 God looks down from heaven at people
to see if there are any who are wise,
any who worship him.
3 But they have all turned away;
they are all equally bad.
Not one of them does what is right,
not a single one.
4 “Don't they know?” God asks.
“Are these evildoers ignorant?
They live by robbing my people,
and they never pray to me.”
5 But then they will become terrified,
as they have never been before,
for God will scatter the bones of the enemies of his people.
God has rejected them,
and so Israel will totally defeat them.
6 How I pray that victory
will come to Israel from Zion.
How happy the people of Israel will be
when God makes them prosperous again!
(L)A Prayer for Protection from Enemies[x]
54 Save me by your power, O God;
set me free by your might!
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to my words!
3 Proud people are coming to attack me;
cruel people are trying to kill me—
those who do not care about God.
4 But God is my helper.
The Lord is my defender.
5 May God use their own evil to punish my enemies.
He will destroy them because he is faithful.
6 I will gladly offer you a sacrifice, O Lord;
I will give you thanks
because you are good.
7 You have rescued me from all my troubles,
and I have seen my enemies defeated.
The Prayer of Someone Betrayed by a Friend[y]
55 Hear my prayer, O God;
don't turn away from my plea!
2 Listen to me and answer me;
I am worn out by my worries.
3 I am terrified by the threats of my enemies,
crushed by the oppression of the wicked.
They bring trouble on me;
they are angry with me and hate me.
4 I am terrified,
and the terrors of death crush me.
5 I am gripped by fear and trembling;
I am overcome with horror.
6 I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and find rest.
7 I would fly far away
and make my home in the desert.
8 I would hurry and find myself a shelter
from the raging wind and the storm.
9 Confuse the speech of my enemies, O Lord!
I see violence and riots in the city,
10 surrounding it day and night,
filling it with crime and trouble.
11 There is destruction everywhere;
the streets are full of oppression and fraud.
12 If it were an enemy making fun of me,
I could endure it;
if it were an opponent boasting over me,
I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, my companion,
my colleague and close friend.
14 We had intimate talks with each other
and worshiped together in the Temple.
15 May my enemies die before their time;
may they go down alive into the world of the dead!
Evil is in their homes and in their hearts.
16 But I call to the Lord God for help,
and he will save me.
17 Morning, noon, and night
my complaints and groans go up to him,
and he will hear my voice.
18 He will bring me safely back
from the battles that I fight
against so many enemies.
19 God, who has ruled from eternity,
will hear me and defeat them;
for they refuse to change,
and they do not fear him.
20 My former companion attacked his friends;
he broke his promises.
21 His words were smoother than cream,
but there was hatred in his heart;
his words were as soothing as oil,
but they cut like sharp swords.
22 Leave your troubles with the Lord,
and he will defend you;
he never lets honest people be defeated.
23 But you, O God, will bring those murderers and liars to their graves
before half their life is over.
As for me, I will trust in you.
(M)A Prayer of Trust in God[z]
56 Be merciful to me, O God,
because I am under attack;
my enemies persecute me all the time.
2 All day long my opponents attack me.
There are so many who fight against me.
3 When I am afraid, O Lord Almighty,
I put my trust in you.
4 I trust in God and am not afraid;
I praise him for what he has promised.
What can a mere human being do to me?
5 My enemies make trouble for me all day long;
they are always thinking up some way to hurt me!
6 They gather in hiding places
and watch everything I do,
hoping to kill me.
7 Punish[aa] them, O God, for their evil;
defeat those people in your anger!
8 You know how troubled I am;
you have kept a record of my tears.
Aren't they listed in your book?
9 The day I call to you,
my enemies will be turned back.
I know this: God[ab] is on my side—
10 the Lord, whose promises I praise.
11 In him I trust, and I will not be afraid.
What can a mere human being do to me?
12 O God, I will offer you what I have promised;
I will give you my offering of thanksgiving,
13 because you have rescued me from death
and kept me from defeat.
And so I walk in the presence of God,
in the light that shines on the living.
(N)A Prayer for Help[ac]
57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
because I come to you for safety.
In the shadow of your wings I find protection
until the raging storms are over.
2 I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who supplies my every need.
3 He will answer from heaven and save me;
he will defeat my oppressors.
God will show me his constant love and faithfulness.
4 I am surrounded by enemies,
who are like lions hungry for human flesh.
Their teeth are like spears and arrows;
their tongues are like sharp swords.
5 Show your greatness in the sky, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
6 My enemies have spread a net to catch me;
I am overcome with distress.
They dug a pit in my path,
but fell into it themselves.
7 I have complete confidence, O God;
I will sing and praise you!
8 Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, my harp and lyre!
I will wake up the sun.
9 I will thank you, O Lord, among the nations.
I will praise you among the peoples.
10 Your constant love reaches the heavens;
your faithfulness touches the skies.
11 Show your greatness in the sky, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
A Prayer for God to Punish the Wicked[ad]
58 Do you rulers[ae] ever give a just decision?
Do you judge everyone fairly?
2 No! You think only of the evil you can do,
and commit crimes of violence in the land.
3 Evildoers go wrong all their lives;
they tell lies from the day they are born.
4 They are full of poison like snakes;
they stop up their ears like a deaf cobra,
5 which does not hear the voice of the snake charmer,
or the chant of the clever magician.
6 Break the teeth of these fierce lions, O God.
7 May they disappear like water draining away;
may they be crushed like weeds on a path.[af]
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime;
may they be like a baby born dead that never sees the light.
9 Before they know it, they are cut down like weeds;
in his fierce anger God will blow them away
while they are still living.[ag]
10 The righteous will be glad when they see sinners punished;
they will wade through the blood of the wicked.
11 People will say, “The righteous are indeed rewarded;
there is indeed a God who judges the world.”
(O)A Prayer for Safety[ah]
59 Save me from my enemies, my God;
protect me from those who attack me!
2 Save me from those evil people;
rescue me from those murderers!
3 Look! They are waiting to kill me;
cruel people are gathering against me.
It is not because of any sin or wrong I have done,
4 nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord,
that they hurry to their places.
5 Rise, Lord God Almighty, and come to my aid;
see for yourself, God of Israel!
Wake up and punish the heathen;
show no mercy to evil traitors!
6 They come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city.
7 Listen to their insults and threats.
Their tongues are like swords in their mouths,
yet they think that no one hears them.
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;
you mock all the heathen.
9 I have confidence in your strength;
you are my refuge, O God.
10 My God loves me and will come to me;
he will let me see my enemies defeated.
11 Do not kill them, O God, or my people may forget.
Scatter them by your strength and defeat them,
O Lord, our protector.
12 Sin is on their lips; all their words are sinful;
may they be caught in their pride!
Because they curse and lie,
13 destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely.
Then everyone will know that God rules in Israel,
that his rule extends over all the earth.
14 My enemies come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city,
15 like dogs roaming about for food
and growling if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength;
every morning I will sing aloud of your constant love.
You have been a refuge for me,
a shelter in my time of trouble.
17 I will praise you, my defender.
My refuge is God,
the God who loves me.
(P)A Prayer for Deliverance[ai]
60 You have rejected us, God, and defeated us;
you have been angry with us—but now turn back to us.[aj]
2 You have made the land tremble, and you have cut it open;
now heal its wounds, because it is falling apart.
3 You have made your people suffer greatly;
we stagger around as though we were drunk.
4 You have warned those who have reverence for you,
so that they might escape destruction.
5 Save us by your might; answer our prayer,
so that the people you love may be rescued.
6 From his sanctuary[ak] God has said,
“In triumph I will divide Shechem
and distribute Sukkoth Valley to my people.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh too;
Ephraim is my helmet
and Judah my royal scepter.
8 But I will use Moab as my washbowl,
and I will throw my sandals on Edom,
as a sign that I own it.
Did the Philistines think they would shout in triumph over me?”
9 Who, O God, will take me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have you really rejected us?
Aren't you going to march out with our armies?
11 Help us against the enemy;
human help is worthless.
12 With God on our side we will win;
he will defeat our enemies.
A Prayer for Protection[al]
61 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer!
2 In despair and far from home
I call to you!
Take me to a safe refuge,
3 for you are my protector,
my strong defense against my enemies.
4 Let me live in your sanctuary all my life;
let me find safety under your wings.
5 You have heard my promises, O God,
and you have given me what belongs to those who honor you.
6 Add many years to the king's life;
let him live on and on!
7 May he rule forever in your presence, O God;
protect him with your constant love and faithfulness.
8 So I will always sing praises to you,
as I offer you daily what I have promised.
Confidence in God's Protection[am]
62 I wait patiently for God to save me;
I depend on him alone.
2 He alone protects and saves me;
he is my defender,
and I shall never be defeated.
3 How much longer will all of you attack someone
who is no stronger than a broken-down fence?
4 You only want to bring him down from his place of honor;
you take pleasure in lies.
You speak words of blessing,
but in your heart you curse him.
5 I depend on God alone;
I put my hope in him.
6 He alone protects and saves me;
he is my defender,
and I shall never be defeated.
7 My salvation and honor depend on God;
he is my strong protector;
he is my shelter.
8 Trust in God at all times, my people.
Tell him all your troubles,
for he is our refuge.
9 Human beings are all like a puff of breath;
great and small alike are worthless.
Put them on the scales, and they weigh nothing;
they are lighter than a mere breath.
10 Don't put your trust in violence;
don't hope to gain anything by robbery;
even if your riches increase,
don't depend on them.
11 More than once I have heard God say
that power belongs to him
12 (Q)and that his love is constant.
You yourself, O Lord, reward everyone according to their deeds.
(R)Longing for God[an]
63 O God, you are my God,
and I long for you.
My whole being desires you;
like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land,
my soul is thirsty for you.
2 Let me see you in the sanctuary;
let me see how mighty and glorious you are.
3 Your constant love is better than life itself,
and so I will praise you.
4 I will give you thanks as long as I live;
I will raise my hands to you in prayer.
5 My soul will feast and be satisfied,
and I will sing glad songs of praise to you.
6 As I lie in bed, I remember you;
all night long I think of you,
7 because you have always been my help.
In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 I cling to you,
and your hand keeps me safe.
9 Those who are trying to kill me
will go down into the world of the dead.
10 They will be killed in battle,
and their bodies eaten by wolves.
11 Because God gives him victory,
the king will rejoice.
Those who make promises in God's name will praise him,
but the mouths of liars will be shut.
A Prayer for Protection[ao]
64 I am in trouble, God—listen to my prayer!
I am afraid of my enemies—save my life!
2 Protect me from the plots of the wicked,
from mobs of evil people.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim cruel words like arrows.
4 They are quick to spread their shameless lies;
they destroy good people with cowardly slander.
5 They encourage each other in their evil plots;
they talk about where they will place their traps.
“No one can see them,” they say.
6 They make evil plans and say,
“We have planned a perfect crime.”
The human heart and mind are a mystery.
7 But God shoots his arrows at them,
and suddenly they are wounded.
8 He will destroy them because of those words;[ap]
all who see them will shake their heads.
9 They will all be afraid;
they will think about what God has done
and tell about his deeds.
10 All righteous people will rejoice
because of what the Lord has done.
They will find safety in him;
all good people will praise him.
Praise and Thanksgiving[aq]
65 O God, it is right for us to praise you in Zion
and keep our promises to you,
2 because you answer prayers.
People everywhere will come to you
3 on account of their sins.
Our faults defeat us,[ar]
but you forgive them.
4 Happy are those whom you choose,
whom you bring to live in your sanctuary.
We shall be satisfied with the good things of your house,
the blessings of your sacred Temple.
5 You answer us by giving us victory,
and you do wonderful things to save us.
People all over the world
and across the distant seas trust in you.
6 You set the mountains in place by your strength,
showing your mighty power.
7 You calm the roar of the seas
and the noise of the waves;
you calm the uproar of the peoples.
8 The whole world stands in awe
of the great things that you have done.
Your deeds bring shouts of joy
from one end of the earth to the other.
9 You show your care for the land by sending rain;
you make it rich and fertile.
You fill the streams with water;
you provide the earth with crops.
This is how you do it:
10 you send abundant rain on the plowed fields
and soak them with water;
you soften the soil with showers
and cause the young plants to grow.
11 What a rich harvest your goodness provides!
Wherever you go there is plenty.
12 The pastures are filled with flocks;
the hillsides are full of joy.
13 The fields are covered with sheep;
the valleys are full of wheat.
Everything shouts and sings for joy.
A Song of Praise and Thanksgiving[as]
66 Praise God with shouts of joy, all people!
2 Sing to the glory of his name;
offer him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How wonderful are the things you do!
Your power is so great
that your enemies bow down in fear before you.
4 Everyone on earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
they sing praises to your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done,
his wonderful acts among people.
6 (S)He changed the sea into dry land;
our ancestors crossed the river on foot.
There we rejoiced because of what he did.
7 He rules forever by his might
and keeps his eyes on the nations.
Let no rebels rise against him.
8 Praise our God, all nations;
let your praise be heard.
9 He has kept us alive
and has not allowed us to fall.
10 You have put us to the test, God;
as silver is purified by fire,
so you have tested us.
11 You let us fall into a trap
and placed heavy burdens on our backs.
12 You let our enemies trample us;
we went through fire and flood,
but now you have brought us to a place of safety.[at]
13 I will bring burnt offerings to your house;
I will offer you what I promised.
14 I will give you what I said I would
when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer sheep to be burned on the altar;
I will sacrifice bulls and goats,
and the smoke will go up to the sky.
16 Come and listen, all who honor God,
and I will tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried to him for help;
I praised him with songs.
18 If I had ignored my sins,
the Lord would not have listened to me.
19 But God has indeed heard me;
he has listened to my prayer.
20 I praise God,
because he did not reject my prayer
or keep back his constant love from me.
A Song of Thanksgiving[au]
67 God, be merciful to us and bless us;
look on us with kindness,
2 so that the whole world may know your will;
so that all nations may know your salvation.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
because you judge the peoples with justice
and guide every nation on earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
6 The land has produced its harvest;
God, our God, has blessed us.
7 God has blessed us;
may all people everywhere honor him.
A National Song of Triumph[av]
68 God rises up and scatters his enemies.
Those who hate him run away in defeat.
2 As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off;
as wax melts in front of the fire,
so do the wicked perish in God's presence.
3 But the righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence;
they are happy and shout for joy.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
prepare a way for him who rides on the clouds.[aw]
His name is the Lord—be glad in his presence!
5 God, who lives in his sacred Temple,
cares for orphans and protects widows.
6 He gives the lonely a home to live in
and leads prisoners out into happy freedom,
but rebels will have to live in a desolate land.
7 O God, when you led your people,
when you marched across the desert,
8 (T)the earth shook, and the sky poured down rain,
because of the coming of the God of Sinai,[ax]
the coming of the God of Israel.
9 You caused abundant rain to fall
and restored your worn-out land;
10 your people made their home there;
in your goodness you provided for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the command,
and many women carried the news:
12 “Kings and their armies are running away!”
The women at home divided what was captured:
13 figures of doves covered with silver,
whose wings glittered with fine gold.
(Why did some of you stay among the sheep pens on the day of battle?)
14 When Almighty God scattered the kings on Mount Zalmon,
he caused snow to fall there.
15 What a mighty mountain is Bashan,
a mountain of many peaks!
16 Why from your mighty peaks do you look with scorn
on the mountain[ay] on which God chose to live?
The Lord will live there forever!
17 With his many thousands of mighty chariots
the Lord comes from Sinai[az] into the holy place.
18 (U)He goes up to the heights,
taking many captives with him;
he receives gifts from rebellious people.
The Lord God will live there.
19 Praise the Lord,
who carries our burdens day after day;
he is the God who saves us.
20 Our God is a God who saves;
he is the Lord, our Lord,
who rescues us from death.
21 God will surely break the heads of his enemies,
of those who persist in their sinful ways.
22 The Lord has said, “I will bring your enemies back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean,
23 so that you may wade in their blood,
and your dogs may lap up as much as they want.”
24 O God, your march of triumph is seen by all,
the procession of God, my king, into his sanctuary.
25 The singers are in front, the musicians are behind,
in between are the young women beating the tambourines.
26 “Praise God in the meeting of his people;
praise the Lord, all you descendants of Jacob!”
27 First comes Benjamin, the smallest tribe,
then the leaders of Judah with their group,
followed by the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28 Show your power, O God,
the power you have used on our behalf
29 from your Temple in Jerusalem,
where kings bring gifts to you.
30 Rebuke Egypt, that wild animal in the reeds;
rebuke the nations, that herd of bulls with their calves,
until they all bow down and offer you their silver.
Scatter those people who love to make war![ba]
31 Ambassadors[bb] will come from Egypt;
the Ethiopians[bc] will raise their hands in prayer to God.
32 Sing to God, kingdoms of the world,
sing praise to the Lord,
33 to him who rides in the sky,
the ancient sky.
Listen to him shout with a mighty roar.
34 Proclaim God's power;
his majesty is over Israel,
his might is in the skies.
35 How awesome is God as he comes from his sanctuary—
the God of Israel!
He gives strength and power to his people.
Praise God!
A Cry for Help[bd]
69 Save me, O God!
The water is up to my neck;
2 I am sinking in deep mud,
and there is no solid ground;
I am out in deep water,
and the waves are about to drown me.
3 I am worn out from calling for help,
and my throat is aching.
I have strained my eyes,
looking for your help.
4 (V)Those who hate me for no reason
are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
My enemies tell lies against me;
they are strong and want to kill me.
They made me give back things I did not steal.
5 My sins, O God, are not hidden from you;
you know how foolish I have been.
6 Don't let me bring shame on those who trust in you,
Sovereign Lord Almighty!
Don't let me bring disgrace to those who worship you,
O God of Israel!
7 It is for your sake that I have been insulted
and that I am covered with shame.
8 I am like a stranger to my relatives,
like a foreigner to my family.
9 (W)My devotion to your Temple burns in me like a fire;
the insults which are hurled at you fall on me.
10 I humble myself[be] by fasting,
and people insult me;
11 I dress myself in clothes of mourning,
and they laugh at me.
12 They talk about me in the streets,
and drunkards make up songs about me.
13 But as for me, I will pray to you, Lord;
answer me, God, at a time you choose.
Answer me because of your great love,
because you keep your promise to save.
14 Save me from sinking in the mud;
keep me safe from my enemies,
safe from the deep water.
15 Don't let the flood come over me;
don't let me drown in the depths
or sink into the grave.
16 Answer me, Lord, in the goodness of your constant love;
in your great compassion turn to me!
17 Don't hide yourself from your servant;
I am in great trouble—answer me now!
18 Come to me and save me;
rescue me from my enemies.
19 You know how I am insulted,
how I am disgraced and dishonored;
you see all my enemies.
20 Insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
I had hoped for sympathy, but there was none;
for comfort, but I found none.
21 (X)When I was hungry, they gave me poison;
when I was thirsty, they offered me vinegar.
22 (Y)May their banquets cause their ruin;
may their sacred feasts cause their downfall.
23 Strike them with blindness!
Make their backs always weak!
24 Pour out your anger on them;
let your indignation overtake them.
25 (Z)May their camps be left deserted;
may no one be left alive in their tents.
26 They persecute those whom you have punished;
they talk about the sufferings of those you have wounded.
27 Keep a record of all their sins;
don't let them have any part in your salvation.
28 (AA)May their names be erased from the book of the living;
may they not be included in the list of your people.
29 But I am in pain and despair;
lift me up, O God, and save me!
30 I will praise God with a song;
I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks.
31 This will please the Lord more than offering him cattle,
more than sacrificing a full-grown bull.
32 When the oppressed see this, they will be glad;
those who worship God will be encouraged.
33 The Lord listens to those in need
and does not forget his people in prison.
34 Praise God, O heaven and earth,
seas and all creatures in them.
35 He will save Jerusalem
and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there and possess the land;
36 the descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love him will live there.
A Prayer for Help[bf] (AB)
70 Save me, O God!
Lord, help me now!
2 May those who try to kill me
be defeated and confused.
May those who are happy because of my troubles
be turned back and disgraced.
3 May those who make fun of me
be dismayed by their defeat.
4 May all who come to you
be glad and joyful.
May all who are thankful for your salvation
always say, “How great is God!”
5 I am weak and poor;
come to me quickly, O God.
You are my savior and my Lord—
hurry to my aid!
The Prayer of an Elderly Person
71 Lord, I have come to you for protection;
never let me be defeated!
2 Because you are righteous, help me and rescue me.
Listen to me and save me!
3 Be my secure shelter
and a strong fortress[bg] to protect me;
you are my refuge and defense.
4 My God, rescue me from wicked people,
from the power of cruel and evil people.
5 Sovereign Lord, I put my hope in you;
I have trusted in you since I was young.
6 I have relied on you all my life;
you have protected[bh] me since the day I was born.
I will always praise you.
7 My life has been an example to many,
because you have been my strong defender.
8 All day long I praise you
and proclaim your glory.
9 Do not reject me now that I am old;
do not abandon me now that I am feeble.
10 My enemies want to kill me;
they talk and plot against me.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him;
let's go after him and catch him;
there is no one to rescue him.”
12 Don't stay so far away, O God;
my God, hurry to my aid!
13 May those who attack me
be defeated and destroyed.
May those who try to hurt me
be shamed and disgraced.
14 I will always put my hope in you;
I will praise you more and more.
15 I will tell of your goodness;
all day long I will speak of your salvation,
though it is more than I can understand.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will proclaim your goodness, yours alone.
17 You have taught me ever since I was young,
and I still tell of your wonderful acts.
18 Now that I am old and my hair is gray,
do not abandon me, O God!
Be with me while I proclaim your power and might
to all generations to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches the skies.
You have done great things;
there is no one like you.
20 You have sent troubles and suffering on me,
but you will restore my strength;
you will keep me from the grave.
21 You will make me greater than ever;
you will comfort me again.
22 I will indeed praise you with the harp;
I will praise your faithfulness, my God.
On my harp I will play hymns to you,
the Holy One of Israel.
23 I will shout for joy as I play for you;
with my whole being I will sing
because you have saved me.
24 I will speak of your righteousness all day long,
because those who tried to harm me
have been defeated and disgraced.
A Prayer for the King[bi]
72 Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God;
share with him your own justice,
2 so that he will rule over your people with justice
and govern the oppressed with righteousness.
3 May the land enjoy prosperity;
may it experience righteousness.
4 May the king judge the poor fairly;
may he help the needy
and defeat their oppressors.
5 May your people worship you as long as the sun shines,
as long as the moon gives light, for ages to come.
6 May the king be like rain on the fields,
like showers falling on the land.
7 May righteousness flourish in his lifetime,
and may prosperity last as long as the moon gives light.
8 (AC)His kingdom will reach from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
9 The peoples of the desert will bow down before him;
his enemies will throw themselves to the ground.
10 The kings of Spain and of the islands will offer him gifts;
the kings of Sheba and Seba[bj] will bring him offerings.
11 All kings will bow down before him;
all nations will serve him.
12 He rescues the poor who call to him,
and those who are needy and neglected.
13 He has pity on the weak and poor;
he saves the lives of those in need.
14 He rescues them from oppression and violence;
their lives are precious to him.
15 Long live the king!
May he be given gold from Sheba;[bk]
may prayers be said for him at all times;
may God's blessings be on him always!
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may the hills be covered with crops,
as fruitful as those of Lebanon.
May the cities be filled with people,
like fields full of grass.
17 May the king's name never be forgotten;
may his fame last as long as the sun.
May all nations ask God to bless them
as he has blessed the king.[bl]
18 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He alone does these wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
May his glory fill the whole world.
Amen! Amen!
20 This is the end of the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Footnotes
- Psalm 42:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 43:3 See 2.6.
- Psalm 44:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 44:4 Some ancient translations and my God; you give; Hebrew O God; give.
- Psalm 44:12 as … value; or and made no profit from the sale.
- Psalm 45:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by the clan of Korah; a love song.
- Psalm 45:4 Probable text and justice; Hebrew and meekness of justice.
- Psalm 45:6 The kingdom that God has given you; or Your kingdom, O God; or Your divine kingdom.
- Psalm 46:1 HEBREW TITLE: A song by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 47:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 47:9 Probable text with the people; Hebrew the people.
- Psalm 48:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah; a song.
- Psalm 48:1 See 2.6.
- Psalm 49:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 49:11 Some ancient translations graves; Hebrew inner thoughts.
- Psalm 49:13 One ancient translation the fate of those; Hebrew after them.
- Psalm 49:14 in … homes.; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 50:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph.
- Psalm 50:14 Let the giving … to God; or Offer your thanksgiving sacrifice to God.
- Psalm 51:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, after the prophet Nathan had spoken to him about his adultery with Bathsheba.
- Psalm 51:14 Spare my life … me; or O God my savior, keep me from the crime of murder.
- Psalm 52:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by David, after Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him that David had gone to the house of Ahimelech.
- Psalm 53:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by David.
- Psalm 54:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by David, after the men from Ziph went to Saul and told him that David was hiding in their territory.
- Psalm 55:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by David.
- Psalm 56:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, after the Philistines captured him in Gath.
- Psalm 56:7 Probable text Punish; Hebrew Save.
- Psalm 56:9 I know this: God; or Because I know that God.
- Psalm 57:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, after he fled from Saul in the cave.
- Psalm 58:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
- Psalm 58:1 rulers; or gods.
- Psalm 58:7 Probable text may … path; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 58:9 Verse 9 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 59:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, after Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
- Psalm 60:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, for teaching, when he fought against the Arameans from Naharaim and from Zobah, and Joab turned back and killed 12,000 Edomites in Salt Valley.
- Psalm 60:1 angry with us … us; or angry with us and turned your back on us.
- Psalm 60:6 From his sanctuary; or In his holiness.
- Psalm 61:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.
- Psalm 62:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
- Psalm 63:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judea.
- Psalm 64:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
- Psalm 64:8 Probable text He will destroy them because of those words; Hebrew They will destroy him, those words are against them.
- Psalm 65:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David; a song.
- Psalm 65:3 One ancient translation us; Hebrew me.
- Psalm 66:1 HEBREW TITLE: A song.
- Psalm 66:12 Some ancient translations safety; Hebrew overflowing.
- Psalm 67:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm; a song.
- Psalm 68:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David; a song.
- Psalm 68:4 on the clouds; or across the desert.
- Psalm 68:8 As the people of Israel went from Egypt to Canaan, God revealed himself to them at Mount Sinai (see Ex 19.16-25).
- Psalm 68:16 See 2.6.
- Psalm 68:17 Probable text comes from Sinai; Hebrew in them, Sinai.
- Psalm 68:30 Verse 30 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 68:31 Some ancient translations Ambassadors; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 68:31 Hebrew Cushites: Cush is the ancient name of the extensive territory south of the First Cataract of the Nile River. This region was called Ethiopia in Graeco-Roman time, and included within its borders most of modern Sudan and some of present-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia).
- Psalm 69:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.
- Psalm 69:10 Some ancient translations humble myself; Hebrew cry.
- Psalm 70:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David; a lament.
- Psalm 71:3 One ancient translation a strong fortress; Hebrew to go always you commanded.
- Psalm 71:6 Some ancient translations protected; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 72:1 HEBREW TITLE: By Solomon.
- Psalm 72:10 Sheba was toward the south in Arabia and Seba was on the opposite side of the Red Sea.
- Psalm 72:15 See 72.10.
- Psalm 72:17 as he has blessed the king; or and may they wish happiness for the king.
Psalm 42-59
New International Version
Psalm 42-59
New International Version
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[a][b]
For the director of music. A maskil[c] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(A) pants for streams of water,(B)
so my soul pants(C) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(D) for God, for the living God.(E)
When can I go(F) and meet with God?
3 My tears(G) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(H)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(I)
how I used to go to the house of God(J)
under the protection of the Mighty One[d]
with shouts of joy(K) and praise(L)
among the festive throng.(M)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(N)
Why so disturbed(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,(P)
for I will yet praise(Q) him,
my Savior(R) and my God.(S)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,(U)
the heights of Hermon(V)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(W)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(X)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(Y)
at night(Z) his song(AA) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(AB)
9 I say to God my Rock,(AC)
“Why have you forgotten(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AE)
oppressed(AF) by the enemy?”(AG)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(AH)
as my foes taunt(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(AJ)
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(AK)
Psalm 43[e]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(AL)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(AM) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(AN)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(AO) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(AP)
oppressed by the enemy?(AQ)
3 Send me your light(AR) and your faithful care,(AS)
let them lead me;(AT)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(AU)
to the place where you dwell.(AV)
4 Then I will go(AW) to the altar(AX) of God,
to God, my joy(AY) and my delight.(AZ)
I will praise you with the lyre,(BA)
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(BB)
Psalm 44[f]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[g]
1 We have heard it with our ears,(BC) O God;
our ancestors have told us(BD)
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.(BE)
2 With your hand you drove out(BF) the nations
and planted(BG) our ancestors;
you crushed(BH) the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.(BI)
3 It was not by their sword(BJ) that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(BK) your arm,(BL)
and the light(BM) of your face, for you loved(BN) them.
4 You are my King(BO) and my God,(BP)
who decrees[h] victories(BQ) for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back(BR) our enemies;
through your name we trample(BS) our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,(BT)
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory(BU) over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.(BV)
8 In God we make our boast(BW) all day long,(BX)
and we will praise your name forever.[i](BY)
9 But now you have rejected(BZ) and humbled us;(CA)
you no longer go out with our armies.(CB)
10 You made us retreat(CC) before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered(CD) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(CE)
and have scattered us among the nations.(CF)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(CG)
gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach(CH) to our neighbors,(CI)
the scorn(CJ) and derision(CK) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(CL) among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads(CM) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(CN) all day long,
and my face is covered with shame(CO)
16 at the taunts(CP) of those who reproach and revile(CQ) me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(CR)
17 All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten(CS) you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(CT) back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(CU) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(CV)
you covered us over with deep darkness.(CW)
20 If we had forgotten(CX) the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(CY)
21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(CZ)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep(DA) to be slaughtered.(DB)
23 Awake,(DC) Lord! Why do you sleep?(DD)
Rouse yourself!(DE) Do not reject us forever.(DF)
24 Why do you hide your face(DG)
and forget(DH) our misery and oppression?(DI)
25 We are brought down to the dust;(DJ)
our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(DK) and help us;
rescue(DL) us because of your unfailing love.(DM)
Psalm 45[j]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[k] A wedding song.(DN)
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,(DO)
since God has blessed you forever.(DP)
3 Gird your sword(DQ) on your side, you mighty one;(DR)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(DS)
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously(DT)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(DU)
let your right hand(DV) achieve awesome deeds.(DW)
5 Let your sharp arrows(DX) pierce the hearts(DY) of the king’s enemies;(DZ)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[l] will last for ever and ever;(EA)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness(EB) and hate wickedness;(EC)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing(ED) you with the oil of joy.(EE)
8 All your robes are fragrant(EF) with myrrh(EG) and aloes(EH) and cassia;(EI)
from palaces adorned with ivory(EJ)
the music of the strings(EK) makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings(EL) are among your honored women;
at your right hand(EM) is the royal bride(EN) in gold of Ophir.(EO)
10 Listen, daughter,(EP) and pay careful attention:(EQ)
Forget your people(ER) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(ES)
honor(ET) him, for he is your lord.(EU)
12 The city of Tyre(EV) will come with a gift,[m](EW)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(EX) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.(EY)
14 In embroidered garments(EZ) she is led to the king;(FA)
her virgin companions(FB) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(FC)
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes(FD) throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;(FE)
therefore the nations will praise you(FF) for ever and ever.(FG)
Psalm 46[n]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[o] A song.
1 God is our refuge(FH) and strength,(FI)
an ever-present(FJ) help(FK) in trouble.(FL)
2 Therefore we will not fear,(FM) though the earth give way(FN)
and the mountains fall(FO) into the heart of the sea,(FP)
3 though its waters roar(FQ) and foam(FR)
and the mountains quake(FS) with their surging.[p]
4 There is a river(FT) whose streams(FU) make glad the city of God,(FV)
the holy place where the Most High(FW) dwells.(FX)
5 God is within her,(FY) she will not fall;(FZ)
God will help(GA) her at break of day.
6 Nations(GB) are in uproar,(GC) kingdoms(GD) fall;
he lifts his voice,(GE) the earth melts.(GF)
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,(GK)
the desolations(GL) he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars(GM) cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(GN) and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[q] with fire.(GO)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(GP)
I will be exalted(GQ) among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 47[r]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
2 For the Lord Most High(GV) is awesome,(GW)
the great King(GX) over all the earth.
3 He subdued(GY) nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance(GZ) for us,
the pride of Jacob,(HA) whom he loved.[s]
5 God has ascended(HB) amid shouts of joy,(HC)
the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(HD)
6 Sing praises(HE) to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;(HF)
sing to him a psalm(HG) of praise.
8 God reigns(HH) over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.(HI)
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[t] of the earth belong to God;(HJ)
he is greatly exalted.(HK)
Psalm 48[u]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord,(HL) and most worthy of praise,(HM)
in the city of our God,(HN) his holy mountain.(HO)
2 Beautiful(HP) in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[v](HQ) is Mount Zion,(HR)
the city of the Great King.(HS)
3 God is in her citadels;(HT)
he has shown himself to be her fortress.(HU)
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,(HV)
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.(HW)
6 Trembling seized(HX) them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(HY)
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(HZ)
shattered by an east wind.(IA)
8 As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.[w](IB)
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate(IC) on your unfailing love.(ID)
10 Like your name,(IE) O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(IF)
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.(IG)
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,(IH)
13 consider well her ramparts,(II)
view her citadels,(IJ)
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.(IK)
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide(IL) even to the end.
Psalm 49[x]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear(IM) this, all you peoples;(IN)
listen, all who live in this world,(IO)
2 both low and high,(IP)
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(IQ)
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(IR)
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;(IS)
with the harp(IT) I will expound my riddle:(IU)
5 Why should I fear(IV) when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth(IW)
and boast(IX) of their great riches?(IY)
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom(IZ) for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—(JA)
9 so that they should live on(JB) forever
and not see decay.(JC)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(JD)
that the foolish and the senseless(JE) also perish,
leaving their wealth(JF) to others.(JG)
11 Their tombs(JH) will remain their houses[y] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,(JI)
though they had[z] named(JJ) lands after themselves.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(JM)
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[aa]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(JN) to die;(JO)
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail(JP) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(JQ)
he will surely take me to himself.(JR)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(JS) with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.(JT)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(JU)
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(JV)
who will never again see the light(JW) of life.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(JZ)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(KA)
2 From Zion,(KB) perfect in beauty,(KC)
God shines forth.(KD)
3 Our God comes(KE)
and will not be silent;(KF)
a fire devours(KG) before him,(KH)
and around him a tempest(KI) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(KJ) that he may judge his people:(KK)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(KL)
who made a covenant(KM) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(KN) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[ab][ac](KO)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(KP) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(KQ)
8 I bring no charges(KR) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(KS) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(KT) from your stall
or of goats(KU) from your pens,(KV)
10 for every animal of the forest(KW) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(KX)
11 I know every bird(KY) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(KZ) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(LA) is mine, and all that is in it.(LB)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(LC) to God,
fulfill your vows(LD) to the Most High,(LE)
15 and call(LF) on me in the day of trouble;(LG)
I will deliver(LH) you, and you will honor(LI) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(LJ) on your lips?(LK)
17 You hate(LL) my instruction
and cast my words behind(LM) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(LN) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(LO)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(LP)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(LQ)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(LR)
you thought I was exactly[ad] like you.
But I now arraign(LS) you
and set my accusations(LT) before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(LU)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(LV)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless[ae] I will show my salvation.(LW)”
Psalm 51[af]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(LX)
1 Have mercy(LY) on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;(LZ)
according to your great compassion(MA)
blot out(MB) my transgressions.(MC)
2 Wash away(MD) all my iniquity
and cleanse(ME) me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.(MF)
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned(MG)
and done what is evil in your sight;(MH)
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.(MI)
5 Surely I was sinful(MJ) at birth,(MK)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom(ML) in that secret place.(MM)
7 Cleanse(MN) me with hyssop,(MO) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(MP)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;(MQ)
let the bones(MR) you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins(MS)
and blot out(MT) all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart,(MU) O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(MV)
11 Do not cast me(MW) from your presence(MX)
or take your Holy Spirit(MY) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(MZ)
and grant me a willing spirit,(NA) to sustain me.(NB)
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(NC)
so that sinners(ND) will turn back to you.(NE)
14 Deliver me(NF) from the guilt of bloodshed,(NG) O God,
you who are God my Savior,(NH)
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(NI)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(NJ)
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(NK) or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(NL) O God, is[ag] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart(NM)
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(NN)
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(NO)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(NP)
in burnt offerings(NQ) offered whole;
then bulls(NR) will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 52[ah]
For the director of music. A maskil[ai] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(NS) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(NT) all day long,(NU)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(NV)
your tongue plots destruction;(NW)
it is like a sharpened razor.(NX)
3 You love evil(NY) rather than good,
falsehood(NZ) rather than speaking the truth.[aj]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(OA)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(OB) you from your tent;
he will uproot(OC) you from the land of the living.(OD)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(OE) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(OF)
but trusted in his great wealth(OG)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree(OH)
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust(OI) in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you(OJ)
in the presence of your faithful people.(OK)
And I will hope in your name,(OL)
for your name is good.(OM)
Psalm 53[ak](ON)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[al] A maskil[am] of David.
1 The fool(OO) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(OP)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven(OQ)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(OR)
any who seek God.(OS)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(OT)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.(OU)
God scattered the bones(OV) of those who attacked you;(OW)
you put them to shame,(OX) for God despised them.(OY)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 54[an]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ao] of David. When the Ziphites(OZ) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(PA), O God, by your name;(PB)
vindicate me by your might.(PC)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(PD)
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;(PE)
ruthless people(PF) are trying to kill me(PG)—
people without regard for God.[ap](PH)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering(PM) to you;
I will praise(PN) your name, Lord, for it is good.(PO)
7 You have delivered me(PP) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(PQ)
Psalm 55[aq]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[ar] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(PR)
2 hear me and answer me.(PS)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(PT)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(PU)
and assail(PV) me in their anger.(PW)
4 My heart is in anguish(PX) within me;
the terrors(PY) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(PZ) have beset me;
horror(QA) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[as](QB)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(QC)
far from the tempest and storm.(QD)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(QE)
for I see violence and strife(QF) in the city.(QG)
10 Day and night they prowl(QH) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(QI) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(QJ) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(QK)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(QL)
at the house of God,(QM)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(QN)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(QO)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(QP) morning(QQ) and noon(QR)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(QS)
who does not change—
he will hear(QT) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(QU)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(QV)
he violates his covenant.(QW)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(QX)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(QY)
yet they are drawn swords.(QZ)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(RA)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(RB)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(RC) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(RD)
will not live out half their days.(RE)
But as for me, I trust in you.(RF)
Psalm 56[at]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[au] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(RG) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(RH)
all day long they press their attack.(RI)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(RJ)
in their pride many are attacking me.(RK)
3 When I am afraid,(RL) I put my trust in you.(RM)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(RN)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(RO)
What can mere mortals do to me?(RP)
5 All day long they twist my words;(RQ)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(RR) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(RS)
hoping to take my life.(RT)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[av] let them escape;(RU)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(RV)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[aw](RW)—
are they not in your record?(RX)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(RY)
when I call for help.(RZ)
By this I will know that God is for me.(SA)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(SB) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(SC)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(SD)
Psalm 57[ax](SE)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[ay] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(SF)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(SG)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(SH)
until the disaster has passed.(SI)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(SJ)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(SK)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[az](SL)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(SM)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(SN)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(SO)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(SP)
6 They spread a net for my feet(SQ)—
I was bowed down(SR) in distress.
They dug a pit(SS) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(ST)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(SU)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(SV)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(SW)
Psalm 58[ba]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[bb]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(SZ)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(TA)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(TB)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(TC)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(TD) the tune of the charmer,(TE)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(TF)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(TG)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(TH)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(TI)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(TJ)
like a stillborn child(TK) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(TL)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[bc](TM)
10 The righteous will be glad(TN) when they are avenged,(TO)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(TP)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(TQ)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(TR)
Psalm 59[bd]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[be] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(TS) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(TT)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(TU)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(TV)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(TW)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(TX) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(TY) yet they are ready to attack me.(TZ)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(UA)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(UB)
rouse yourself(UC) to punish all the nations;(UD)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[bf](UE)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(UF)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(UG)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(UH)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(UI)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(UJ)
you scoff at all those nations.(UK)
9 You are my strength,(UL) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(UM)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[bg](UN)
or my people will forget.(UO)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(UP)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(UQ)
for the words of their lips,(UR)
let them be caught in their pride.(US)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(UT)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(UU)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(UV)
and howl if not satisfied.
Footnotes
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
- Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
- Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
- Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
- Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts
- Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
- Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 46:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 11.
- Psalm 46:9 Or chariots
- Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
- Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 47:9 Or shields
- Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
- Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
- Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
- Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
- Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
- Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
- Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
- Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
- Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
- Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
- Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
- Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
- Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
- Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.