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Wickedness of men and lovingkindness of God.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah.

[a]36 The transgression of the wicked [b]saith within my heart,
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For [c]he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
[d]That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
He deviseth iniquity upon his bed;
He setteth himself in a way that is not good;
He abhorreth not evil.

Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens;
Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies.
Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.
How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be [e]abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
For with thee is the fountain of life:
In thy light shall we see light.
10 Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee,
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen:
They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Security of those who trust in Jehovah, and insecurity of the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers,
Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in Jehovah, and do good;
[f]Dwell in the land, and [g]feed on his faithfulness.
[h]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [i]desires of thy heart.
[j]Commit thy way unto Jehovah;
Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.
And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light,
And thy justice as the noon-day.
[k]Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him:
Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
For evil-doers shall be cut off;
But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit [l]the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and [m]he shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just,
And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him;
For he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay such as are upright in the way.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous hath
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
But Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect;
And their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish,
And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as [n]the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; [o]in smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again;
But the righteous dealeth graciously, and giveth.
22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land;
And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 A man’s goings are established of Jehovah;
And he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For Jehovah [p]upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed begging bread.
26 All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth;
And his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell for evermore.
28 For Jehovah loveth justice,
And forsaketh not his saints;
They are preserved for ever:
But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom,
And his tongue speaketh justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous,
And seeketh to slay him.
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way,
And he will exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 [q]But one passed by, and, lo, he was not:
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright;
For there is a happy end to the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together:
The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah:
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them:
He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them,
Because they have taken refuge in him.

Prayer of a suffering penitent.

A Psalm of David, [r]to bring to remembrance.

38 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath;
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows [s]stick fast in me,
And thy hand [t]presseth me sore.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation;
Neither is there any [u]health in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over my head:
As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
Because of my foolishness.
I am [v]pained and bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am faint and sore bruised:
I have [w]groaned by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before thee;
And my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me;
And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
And meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no [x]reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and are strong;
And they that hate me [y]wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good
Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.

The vanity of life.

For the Chief Musician, for [z]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, I will take heed to my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue:
I will keep [aa]my mouth with a bridle,
While the wicked is before me.
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [ab]even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then spake I with my tongue:
Jehovah, make me to know mine end,
And the measure of my days, what it is;
Let me know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths;
And my life-time is as nothing before thee:
Surely every man [ac]at his best estate is altogether [ad]vanity. Selah
Surely every man walketh [ae]in a vain show;
Surely they are disquieted [af]in vain:
He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
And now, Lord, what wait I for?
My hope is in thee.
Deliver me from all my transgressions:
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth;
Because thou didst it.
10 Remove thy stroke away from me:
I am consumed by the [ag]blow of thy hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
Thou [ah]makest his beauty to consume away like a moth:
Surely every man is [ai]vanity. Selah
12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry;
Hold not thy peace at my tears:
For I am a stranger with thee,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Oh [aj]spare me, that I may [ak]recover strength,
Before I go hence, and be no more.

A sacrifice of praise, and prayer for help.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for Jehovah;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of [al]a horrible pit, out of the miry clay;
And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
Many shall see it, and fear,
And shall trust in Jehovah.
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust,
And respecteth not the proud, nor such as [am]turn aside to lies.
Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done,
And thy thoughts which are to us-ward:
[an]They cannot be set in order unto thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and [ao]offering thou hast no delight in;
[ap]Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is [aq]written of me:
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly;
Lo, I will not refrain my lips,
O Jehovah, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great assembly.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah;
Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about;
Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
And my heart hath [ar]failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me:
Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.
14 Let them be put to shame and confounded together
That seek after my soul to destroy it:
Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor
That delight in my hurt.
15 Let them be [as]desolate [at]by reason of their shame
That say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:
Let such as love thy salvation say continually,
Jehovah be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinketh upon me:
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
Make no tarrying, O my God.

The psalmist in sickness complains of enemies and false friends.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he that considereth [au]the poor:
Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.
Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive,
And he shall be blessed [av]upon the earth;
And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.
Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:
Thou [aw]makest all his bed in his sickness.
I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me:
Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying,
When will he die, and his name perish?
And if he come to see me, he speaketh falsehood;
His heart gathereth iniquity to itself:
When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
All that hate me whisper together against me;
Against me do they devise my hurt.
[ax]An evil disease, say they, [ay]cleaveth fast unto him;
And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
Who did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me, and raise me up,
That I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou delightest in me,
Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity,
And settest me before thy face for ever.

13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,
From everlasting and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 Or, Transgression saith to the wicked
  2. Psalm 36:1 Or, uttereth its oracle
  3. Psalm 36:2 Or, it (or he) flattereth him in his eyes
  4. Psalm 36:2 Or, Until his iniquity be found and be hated. Hebrew Concerning the finding out of his iniquity and hating it.
  5. Psalm 36:8 Hebrew watered.
  6. Psalm 37:3 Or, So shalt thou dwell in the land and feed securely
  7. Psalm 37:3 Or, verily thou shalt be fed
  8. Psalm 37:4 Or, So shalt thou have thy delight in etc.
  9. Psalm 37:4 Hebrew petitions.
  10. Psalm 37:5 Hebrew Roll thy way upon Jehovah.
  11. Psalm 37:7 Or, Be still before (Hebrew silent to) Jehovah
  12. Psalm 37:9 Or, the earth (and so in verses 11, 22, 29, 34)
  13. Psalm 37:10 Or, it
  14. Psalm 37:20 Or, the excellency of the pastures
  15. Psalm 37:20 Or, like smoke
  16. Psalm 37:24 Or, upholdeth his hand
  17. Psalm 37:36 Or, Yet he passed away
  18. Psalm 38:1 Or, to make memorial
  19. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  20. Psalm 38:2 Hebrew lighted on me.
  21. Psalm 38:3 Or, rest
  22. Psalm 38:6 Hebrew bent.
  23. Psalm 38:8 Hebrew roared.
  24. Psalm 38:14 Or, arguments
  25. Psalm 38:19 Hebrew falsely.
  26. Psalm 39:1 62:title; 77:title; 1 Chr. 16:41; 25:1.
  27. Psalm 39:1 Hebrew a bridle (or muzzle) for my mouth.
  28. Psalm 39:2 Or, and had no comfort. Hebrew away from good.
  29. Psalm 39:5 Hebrew standing firm.
  30. Psalm 39:5 Hebrew a breath.
  31. Psalm 39:6 Or, as a shadow
  32. Psalm 39:6 Or, for vanity
  33. Psalm 39:10 Hebrew conflict.
  34. Psalm 39:11 Or, consumest like a moth his delights
  35. Psalm 39:11 Hebrew a breath.
  36. Psalm 39:13 Or, look away from me
  37. Psalm 39:13 Hebrew brighten up.
  38. Psalm 40:2 Hebrew a pit of tumult (or destruction).
  39. Psalm 40:4 Or, fall away treacherously
  40. Psalm 40:5 Or, There is none to be compared unto thee
  41. Psalm 40:6 Or, meal-offering
  42. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew Ears hast thou digged (or, pierced) for me.
  43. Psalm 40:7 Or, prescribed to
  44. Psalm 40:12 Hebrew forsaken.
  45. Psalm 40:15 Or, astonished
  46. Psalm 40:15 Or, for a reward of
  47. Psalm 41:1 Or, the weak
  48. Psalm 41:2 Or, in the land
  49. Psalm 41:3 Hebrew turnest, or, changest.
  50. Psalm 41:8 Or, Some wicked thing
  51. Psalm 41:8 Or, is poured out upon him