Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 34[a]

Of David, when he pretended to be crazy before Abimelech, who banished him so that he left.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be in my mouth.
I[b] praise the Lord
    let the suffering listen and rejoice.
Magnify the Lord with me!
    Together let us lift his name up high!
I sought the Lord and he answered me.
    He delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to God will shine;
    their faces are never ashamed.
This suffering person cried out:
    the Lord listened and saved him from every trouble.
On every side, the Lord’s messenger protects those who honor God; and he delivers them.
Taste and see how good the Lord is!
    The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!
You who are the Lord’s holy ones, honor him,
    because those who honor him don’t lack a thing.
10 Even strong young lions go without and get hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, children, listen to me.
    Let me teach you how to honor the Lord:
12 Do you love life;
    do you relish the chance to enjoy good things?
13     Then you must keep your tongue from evil
        and keep your lips from speaking lies!
14 Turn away from evil! Do good!
    Seek peace and go after it!

15 The Lord’s eyes watch the righteous,
    his ears listen to their cries for help.
16 But the Lord’s face is set against those who do evil,
    to eliminate even the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry out, the Lord listens;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he saves those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous have many problems,
    but the Lord delivers them from every one.
20 He protects all their bones;
    not even one will be broken.
21 But just one problem will kill the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be held responsible.
22 The Lord saves his servants’ lives;
    all those who take refuge in him
    won’t be held responsible for anything.

Psalm 35

Of David.

35 Lord, argue with those who argue with me;
    fight with those who fight against me!
Grab a shield and armor;
    stand up and help me!
Use your spear and ax[c]
    against those who are out to get me!
    Say to me:[d] “I’m your salvation!”
Let those who want me dead
    be humiliated and put to shame.
Let those who intend to hurt me
    be thoroughly frustrated and disgraced.
Let them be like dust on the wind—
    and let the Lord’s messenger be the one who does the blowing!
Let their path be dark and slippery—
    and let the Lord’s messenger be the one who does the chasing!
Because they hid their net for me for no reason,
    they dug a pit for me for no reason.
Let disaster come to them when they don’t suspect it.
    Let the net they hid catch them instead!
    Let them fall into it—to their disaster!

But I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will celebrate his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who could compare to you?
    You rescue the weak from those who overpower them;
        you rescue the weak and the needy from those who plunder them.”

11 Violent witnesses stand up.
    They question me about things I know nothing about.
12 They pay me back evil for good,
    leaving me stricken with grief.
13 But when they were sick, I wore clothes for grieving,
    and I kept a strict fast.
When my prayer came back unanswered,[e]
14 I would wander around like I was grieving a friend or a brother.
    I was weighed down, sad, like I was a mother in mourning.
15 But when I stumbled, they celebrated and gathered together—
    they gathered together against me!
    Strangers[f] I didn’t know tore me to pieces and wouldn’t quit.
16 They ridiculed me over and over again,
    like godless people would do,
    grinding their teeth at me.

17 How long, my Lord, will you watch this happen?
    Rescue me from their attacks;
    rescue my precious life from these predatory lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great assembly;
    I will praise you in a huge crowd of people.
19 Don’t let those who are my enemies
    without cause celebrate over me;
    don’t let those who hate me for no reason
        wink at my demise.
20 They don’t speak the truth;
    instead, they plot false accusations
    against innocent people in the land.
21 They speak out against me,
    saying, “Yes! Oh, yes! We’ve seen it with our own eyes!”

22 But you’ve seen it too, Lord.
    Don’t keep quiet about it.
    Please don’t be far from me, my Lord.
23 Wake up! Get up and do justice for me;
    argue my case, my Lord and my God!
24 Establish justice for me
    according to your righteousness, Lord, my God.
Don’t let them celebrate over me.
25     Don’t let them say to themselves,
    Yes! Exactly what we wanted!
    Don’t let them say, “We ate him up!”
26 Let all those who celebrate my misfortune be disgraced and put to shame!
Let those who exalt themselves over me
        be dressed up in shame and dishonor!
27 But let those who want things to be set right for me
        shout for joy and celebrate!
    Let them constantly say, “The Lord is great—
        God wants his servant to be at peace.”
28 Then my tongue will talk
        all about your righteousness;
    it will talk
        about your praise all day long.

Psalm 36

For the music leader. Of the Lord’s servant David.

36 I know the sinful utterance of the wicked:[g]
    No fear of God confronts their own eyes,
    because in their own eyes they are slick with talk
    about their guilt ever being found out and despised.[h]
The words of their mouths are evil and dishonest.
    They have stopped being wise and stopped doing good.
They plot evil even while resting in bed!
    They commit themselves to a path that is no good.
    They don’t reject what is evil.

But your loyal love, Lord, extends to the skies;
    your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the strongest mountains;
    your justice is like the deepest sea.
        Lord, you save both humans and animals.
Your faithful love is priceless, God!
    Humanity finds refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the bounty of your house;
    you let them drink from your river of pure joy.
Within you is the spring of life.
    In your light, we see light.

10 Extend your faithful love to those who know you;
    extend your righteousness to those whose heart is right.
11 Don’t let the feet of arrogant people walk all over me;
    don’t let the hands of the wicked drive me off.
12 Look—right there is where the evildoers have fallen,
    pushed down, unable to get up!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 Ps 34 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10.
  2. Psalm 34:2 Or my soul; also in 34:22
  3. Psalm 35:3 Correction
  4. Psalm 35:3 Or my soul; also in 35:4, 7, 9, 12, 13, 17, 24
  5. Psalm 35:13 Heb uncertain
  6. Psalm 35:15 Correction
  7. Psalm 36:1 Heb uncertain
  8. Psalm 36:2 Heb uncertain

Bible Gateway Recommends