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To the director: With stringed instruments, on the sheminith. A song of David.

Lord, don’t punish me.
    Don’t correct me when you are so angry.
Lord, be kind to me.
    I am sick and weak.
Heal me, Lord!
    My bones are shaking.
    I am trembling all over.
Lord, how long until you heal me?[a]
Lord, come back and make me strong again.
    Save me because you are so loyal and kind.
If I am dead, I cannot sing about you.
    Those in the grave don’t praise you.

Lord, I am so weak.
    I cried to you all night.
My pillow is soaked;
    my bed is dripping wet from my tears.
My enemies have caused me such sorrow
    that my eyes are worn out from crying.

Go away, you wicked people,
    because the Lord has heard my cries.
The Lord has heard my request for mercy.
The Lord has accepted my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be filled with fear and shame.
    They will be sorry when disgrace suddenly comes upon them.

A song[b] of David that he sang to the Lord about Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.

Lord my God, I come to you for protection.
    Save me from those who are chasing me.
If you don’t help me, I will be torn apart like an animal caught by a lion.
    I will be carried away with no one to save me.

Lord my God, I have done nothing wrong.
I have done nothing to hurt a friend[c]
    or to help his enemies.
If that is not the truth, then punish me.
    Let an enemy chase me, catch me, and kill me.
    Let him grind me into the dirt and put me in my grave. Selah

Lord, get up[d] and show your anger!
    My enemy is angry, so stand and fight against him.
    Get me the justice that you demand.
Gather the nations around you,
    and take your place as judge.
Lord, judge the people.
    Lord, judge me.
    Prove that I am right and that I am innocent.
Stop those who do evil.
    Support those who do good.
God, you are fair.
    You know what people are thinking.

10 God helps people who want to do right,
    so he will protect me.
11 God is a good judge.
    He always condemns evil.
12-13 If the wicked will not change,
    then God is ready to punish them.
He has prepared his deadly weapons.
    His sword is sharp.
His bow is strung, drawn back,
    and ready to shoot its flaming arrow.

14 The minds of the wicked are full of evil;
    they are pregnant with wicked plans,
    which give birth to lies.
15 They dig a pit to trap others,
    but they are the ones who will fall into it.
16 The trouble they cause will come back on them.
    They plan harm for others,
    but they are the ones who will be hurt.

17 I praise the Lord because he is good.
    I praise the name of the Lord Most High.

To the director: With the gittith. A song of David.

Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful in all the earth!
    It brings you praise everywhere in heaven.

From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you.
    They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.

I look at the heavens you made with your hands.
    I see the moon and the stars you created.
And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you?
    Why do you even think about them?
Why do you care so much about humans[e]?
    Why do you even notice them?”

But you made them almost like gods
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You put them in charge of everything you made.
    You put everything under their control.
People rule over the sheep and cattle and all the wild animals.
They rule over the birds in the sky
    and the fish that swim in the sea.
Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!

[f] To the director: Use the Alamoth of Ben.[g] A song of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
    I will tell about the wonderful things you have done.
You make me happy, so I will rejoice in you.
    God Most High, I praise your name.
My enemies turned to run from you,
    but they fell and were destroyed.

You listened to me from your throne like a good judge,
    and you decided that I was right.
You told the nations how wrong they were.
    You destroyed those evil people.
    You erased their names from our memory forever and ever.
The enemy is finished!
    You destroyed their cities.
    There is nothing left to remind us of them.

The Lord set up his throne to bring justice,
    and he will rule forever.
He judges everyone on earth fairly.
    He judges all nations honestly.
Many people are suffering—
    crushed by the weight of their troubles.
But the Lord is a refuge for them,
    a safe place they can run to.

10 Lord, those who know your name
    come to you for protection.
And when they come,
    you do not leave them without help.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who sits as King in Zion.[h]
    Tell the nations about the great things he has done.
12 He punishes murderers
    and remembers those who are in need.
When suffering people cry for help,
    he does not ignore them.

13 I said this prayer: “Lord, be kind to me.
    See how my enemies are hurting me.
    Save me from the ‘gates of death.’
14 Then, at the gates of Jerusalem,[i] I can sing praises to you.
    I will be so happy because you saved me.”

15 Those other nations have fallen into the pit they dug to catch others.
    They have been caught in their own trap.
16 The Lord showed that he judges fairly.
    The wicked were caught by what they did to hurt others. Higgayon[j] Selah

17 The wicked will go to the place of death,
    as will all the nations that forget God.
18 It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten,
    but God will not forget them.
    He will not leave them without hope.

19 Lord, get up[k] and judge the nations.
    Don’t let anyone think they can win against you.
20 Teach them a lesson, Lord.
    Let them know they are only human. Selah

10 Lord, why do you stay so far away?
    Why do you hide from people in times of trouble?
The wicked are proud and make evil plans to hurt the poor,
    who are caught in their traps and made to suffer.
Those greedy people brag about the things they want to get.
    They curse the Lord and show that they hate him.
The wicked are too proud to ask God for help.
    He does not fit into their plans.
They succeed in everything they do.
    They don’t understand how you can judge them.
    They make fun of all their enemies.
They say to themselves, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us.
    We will have our fun and never be punished.”
They are always cursing, lying,
    and planning evil things to do.
They hide just outside the villages,
    waiting to kill innocent people,
    always looking for any helpless person they can hurt.
They are like lions hiding in the bushes
    to catch weak and helpless animals.
They lay their traps for the poor,
    who are caught in their nets.
10 Again and again they hurt people
    who are already weak and suffering.
11 They say to themselves, “God has forgotten about us.
    He is not watching.
    He will never see what we are doing.”

12 Lord, get up and do something.
    Punish those who are wicked, God.
    Don’t forget those who are poor and helpless.

13 The wicked turn against God
    because they think he will not punish them.
14 But, Lord, you do see the pain and suffering they cause.
    You see it, so punish them.
Those who were left helpless put their trust in you.
    After all, you are the one who cares for orphans.

15 Break the arms of those who are wicked and evil.
    Punish them for the evil they have done,
    and stop them from doing any more.
16 Lord, you are King forever and ever,
    so I know you will remove the wicked nations from your land.
17 Lord, you have heard what the poor want.
    Listen to their prayers, and do what they ask.
18 Protect the orphans and those who have been hurt.
    Don’t let powerful people drive us from our land!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 6:3 Lord … heal me Literally, “As for you, Lord, how long?”
  2. Psalm 7:1 Psalm 7 song Hebrew, “ shiggayon,” which may mean a special kind of song, perhaps one that is sad or full of emotion.
  3. Psalm 7:4 friend Or “ally.”
  4. Psalm 7:6 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.
  5. Psalm 8:4 people … humans Literally, “man … son of man” or “Enosh … son of Adam.” These are Hebrew ways of saying humans—descendants of Adam and Enosh.
  6. Psalm 9:1 Psalm 9 In many Hebrew copies and in the ancient Greek version, Psalms 9 and 10 are combined as one psalm.
  7. Psalm 9:1 Psalm 9 Alamoth of Ben This might be the name of a tune, “On the Death of the Son,” a music style, or one of the orchestral groups in the Temple. See 1 Chron. 15:20.
  8. Psalm 9:11 Sing … Zion Or “Inhabitants of Zion, sing praises to the Lord.” See “Zion” in the Word List.
  9. Psalm 9:14 Jerusalem Literally, “daughter Zion.” See “Zion” in the Word List.
  10. Psalm 9:16 Higgayon Or “Meditation.” Together with Selah this may mean a time to pause and think quietly.
  11. Psalm 9:19 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. Also in Ps. 10:12.

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