Psalm 1-3

Easy-to-Read Version

Book 1

(Psalms 1-41)

1 Great blessings belong to those
    who don’t listen to evil advice,
who don’t live like sinners,
    and who don’t join those who make fun of God.^[a]
²Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings
    and think about them day and night.
³So they grow strong,
    like a tree planted by a stream—
a tree that produces fruit when it should
    and has leaves that never fall.
Everything they do is successful.

⁴But the wicked are not like that.
    They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
⁵When the time for judgment comes, the wicked will be found guilty.
    Sinners have no place among those who do what is right.^[b]
⁶The Lord shows his people how to live,
    but the wicked have lost their way.

2 Why are the nations so angry?
    Why are the people making such foolish plans?
²Their kings and leaders join together
    to fight against the Lord and his chosen king.^[c]
³They say, “Let’s rebel against them.
    Let’s break free from them!”

⁴But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them.
    The Lord makes fun of them.
⁵He speaks to them in anger,
    and it fills them with fear.
⁶He says, “I have chosen this man to be king,
    and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.”

⁷Let me tell you about the Lord’s agreement:
He said to me, “Today I have become your father,^[d]
    and you are my son.
⁸If you ask, I will give you the nations.
    Everyone on earth will be yours.
⁹You will rule over them with great power.
    You will scatter your enemies like broken pieces of pottery!”

¹⁰So, kings and rulers, be smart
    and learn this lesson.
¹¹Serve the Lord with fear and trembling.
¹²Show that you are loyal to his son,^[e]
    or the Lord will be angry and destroy you.
He is almost angry enough to do that now,
    but those who go to him for protection will be blessed.

A song of David written during the time he was running from his son Absalom.

3 Lord, I have so many enemies.
So many people have turned against me.
²They say to themselves, “God will not rescue him!” Selah

³But you, Lord, protect me.
You bring me honor;
you give me hope.

⁴I will pray to the Lord,
and he will answer me from his holy mountain. Selah

⁵I can lie down to rest and know that I will wake up,
because the Lord covers and protects me.
⁶So I will not be afraid of my enemies,
even if thousands of them surround me.

⁷Lord, get up!^[f]
My God, come rescue me!
If you hit my enemies on the cheek,
you will break all their teeth.

⁸Lord, the victory^[g] is yours!
You are so good to your people. Selah

Footnotes

Psalm 1:1 Or “The one who does not follow the advice of the wicked or turn onto Sinners Road or stay at Scoffers’ House is blessed.”
Psalm 1:5 Or “The wicked will not be allowed to sit as judges nor sinners in the meeting of good people.”
Psalm 2:2 his chosen king Or “his anointed one.”
Psalm 2:7 I have become your father Literally, “I fathered you.” Originally, this probably meant God was “adopting” the king as his son.
Psalm 2:12 Show … his son Literally, “Kiss the son.”
Psalm 3:7 Lord, get up The people said this when they lifted the Box of the Agreement and took it into battle, showing that God was with them. See Num. 10:35-36.
Psalm 3:8 victory Or “salvation.”