Psalm 83-87

Complete Jewish Bible

83 ⁽⁰⁾A song. A psalm of Asaf:

²⁽¹⁾God, don’t remain silent!
Don’t stay quiet, God, or still;
³⁽²⁾because here are your enemies, causing an uproar;
those who hate you are raising their heads,
⁴⁽³⁾craftily conspiring against your people,
consulting together against those you treasure.

⁵⁽⁴⁾They say, “Come, let’s wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Isra’el be remembered no more!”
⁶⁽⁵⁾With one mind they plot their schemes;
the covenant they have made is against you —
⁷⁽⁶⁾the tents of Edom and the Yishma‘elim,
Mo’av and the Hagrim,
⁸⁽⁷⁾G’val, ‘Amon and ‘Amalek,
P’leshet with those living in Tzor; (Selah)
⁹⁽⁸⁾Ashur too is allied with them,
to reinforce the descendants of Lot.

¹⁰⁽⁹⁾Do to them as you did to Midyan,
to Sisra and Yavin at Vadi Kishon —
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾they were destroyed at ‘Ein-Dor
and became manure for the ground.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾Make their leaders like ‘Orev and Ze’ev,
all their princes like Zevach and Tzalmuna,
¹³⁽¹²⁾who said, “Let’s take possession
of God’s meadows for ourselves.”

¹⁴⁽¹³⁾My God, make them like whirling dust,
like chaff driven by the wind.
¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾Like fire burning up the forest,
like a flame that sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾drive them away with your storm,
terrify them with your tempest.
¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾Fill their faces with shame,
so that they will seek your name, Adonai.
¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Let them be ashamed and fearful forever;
yes, let them perish in disgrace.
¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Let them know that you alone,
whose name is Adonai,
are the Most High over all the earth.

84 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of the sons of Korach:

²⁽¹⁾How deeply loved are your dwelling-places,
Adonai-Tzva’ot!
³⁽²⁾My soul yearns, yes, faints with longing
for the courtyards of Adonai;
my heart and body cry for joy
to the living God.

⁴⁽³⁾As the sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young,
[so my resting-place is] by your altars,
Adonai-Tzva’ot, my king and my God.

⁵⁽⁴⁾How happy are those who live in your house;
they never cease to praise you! (Selah)
⁶⁽⁵⁾How happy the man whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are [pilgrim] highways.

⁷⁽⁶⁾Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley,
they make it a place of springs,
and the early rain clothes it with blessings.
⁸⁽⁷⁾They go from strength to strength
and appear before God in Tziyon.

⁹⁽⁸⁾Adonai, God of armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾God, see our shield [the king];
look at the face of your anointed.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Better a day in your courtyards
than a thousand [days elsewhere].
Better just standing at the door of my God’s house
than living in the tents of the wicked.

¹²⁽¹¹⁾For Adonai, God, is a sun and a shield;
Adonai bestows favor and honor;
he will not withhold anything good
from those whose lives are pure.

¹³⁽¹²⁾Adonai-Tzva’ot,
how happy is anyone who trusts in you!

85 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of the sons of Korach:

²⁽¹⁾Adonai, you have shown favor to your land;
you have restored the fortunes of Ya‘akov,
³⁽²⁾taken away the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sin, (Selah)
⁴⁽³⁾withdrawn all your wrath,
turned from your fierce anger.

⁵⁽⁴⁾Restore us, God of our salvation,
renounce your displeasure with us.
⁶⁽⁵⁾Are you to stay angry with us forever?
Will your fury last through all generations?

⁷⁽⁶⁾Won’t you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you?
⁸⁽⁷⁾Show us your grace, Adonai;
grant us your salvation.

⁹⁽⁸⁾I am listening. What will God, Adonai, say?
For he will speak peace to his people,
to his holy ones —
but only if they don’t relapse into folly.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾His salvation is near for those who fear him,
so that glory will be in our land.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Grace and truth have met together;
justice and peace have kissed each other.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾Truth springs up from the earth,
and justice looks down from heaven.
¹³⁽¹²⁾Adonai will also grant prosperity;
our land will yield its harvest.
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Justice will walk before him
and make his footsteps a path.
86 ⁽⁰⁾A prayer of David:

⁽¹⁾Listen, Adonai, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
²Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
save your servant,
who puts his trust in you
because you are my God.
³Take pity on me, Adonai,
for I cry to you all day.

⁴Fill your servant’s heart with joy,
for to you, Adonai, I lift my heart.
⁵Adonai, you are kind and forgiving,
full of grace toward all who call on you.
⁶Listen, Adonai, to my prayer;
pay attention to my pleading cry.
⁷On the day of my trouble I am calling on you,
for you will answer me.

⁸There is none like you among the gods, Adonai;
no deeds compare with yours.
⁹All the nations you have made
will come and bow before you, Adonai;
they will honor your name.
¹⁰For you are great, and you do wonders;
you alone are God.

¹¹Adonai, teach me your way,
so that I can live by your truth;
make me single-hearted,
so that I can fear your name.
¹²I will thank you, Adonai my God,
with my whole heart;
and I will glorify your name forever.
¹³For your grace toward me is so great!
You have rescued me from the lowest part of Sh’ol.

¹⁴God, arrogant men are rising against me,
a gang of brutes is seeking my life,
and to you they pay no attention.
¹⁵But you, Adonai,
are a merciful, compassionate God,
slow to anger
and rich in grace and truth.
¹⁶Turn to me, and show me your favor;
strengthen your servant, save your slave-girl’s son.
¹⁷Give me a sign of your favor,
so that those who hate me
will see it and be ashamed,
because you, Adonai,
have helped and comforted me.

87 ⁽⁰⁾A psalm of the sons of Korach. A song:

⁽¹⁾On the holy mountains is [the city’s] foundation.
²Adonai loves the gates of Tziyon
more than all the dwellings in Ya‘akov.
³Glorious things are said about you,
city of God. (Selah)

⁴I count Rahav and Bavel
among those who know me;
Of P’leshet, Tzor and Ethiopia [they will say],
“This one was born there.”
⁵But of Tziyon it will be said,
“This one and that was born in it,
for the Most High himself establishes it.”
⁶When he registers the peoples, Adonai will record,
“This one was born there.” (Selah)