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Psalm 31-35
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 31-35
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 31
A Plea for Protection
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
Save me by Your righteousness.
2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.(B)
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;(C)
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.(D)
4 You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.(E)
5 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;(F)
You redeem[a] me, Lord, God of truth.(G)
6 I[b] hate those who are devoted to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.(H)
7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love
because You have seen my affliction.
You have known the troubles of my life(I)
8 and have not handed me over to the enemy.(J)
You have set my feet in a spacious place.(K)
9 Be gracious to me, Lord,
because I am in distress;(L)
my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—
my whole being[c] as well.(M)
10 Indeed, my life is consumed with grief
and my years with groaning;(N)
my strength has failed
because of my sinfulness,[d]
and my bones waste away.(O)
11 I am ridiculed by all my adversaries
and even by my neighbors.
I am dreaded by my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street run from me.(P)
12 I am forgotten: gone from memory
like a dead person—like broken pottery.(Q)
13 I have heard the gossip of many;
terror is on every side.(R)
When they conspired against me,
they plotted to take my life.(S)
14 But I trust in You, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”(T)
15 The course of my life is in Your power;(U)
deliver me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.(V)
16 Show Your favor to Your servant;
save me by Your faithful love.(W)
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on You.(X)
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them be silent[e][f] in Sheol.(Y)
18 Let lying lips be quieted;(Z)
they speak arrogantly against the righteous
with pride and contempt.(AA)
19 How great is Your goodness
that You have stored up for those who fear You
and accomplished in the sight of everyone
for those who take refuge in You.(AB)
20 You hide them in the protection of Your presence;
You conceal them in a shelter[g]
from the schemes of men,
from quarrelsome tongues.(AC)
21 May the Lord be praised,
for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me
in a city under siege.[h](AD)
22 In my alarm I had said,
“I am cut off from Your sight.”(AE)
But You heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried to You for help.(AF)
23 Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.(AG)
The Lord protects the loyal,
but fully repays the arrogant.(AH)
24 Be strong[i] and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.(AI)
Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Davidic. A Maskil.
1 How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!(AJ)
2 How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin(AK)
and in whose spirit is no deceit!(AL)
3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.(AM)
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;(AN)
my strength was drained[j]
as in the summer’s heat.(AO)
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin.(AP)
6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
at a time that You may be found.[k](AQ)
When great floodwaters come,
they will not reach him.(AR)
7 You are my hiding place;(AS)
You protect me from trouble.(AT)
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go;(AU)
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.(AV)
9 Do not be like a horse or mule,
without understanding,
that must be controlled with bit and bridle
or else it will not come near you.(AW)
10 Many pains come to the wicked,(AX)
but the one who trusts in the Lord
will have faithful love surrounding him.(AY)
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
you righteous ones;
shout for joy,
all you upright in heart.(AZ)
Psalm 33
Praise to the Creator
1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.(BA)
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.(BB)
3 Sing a new song to Him;(BC)
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.(BD)
4 For the word of the Lord is right,
and all His work is trustworthy.(BE)
5 He loves righteousness and justice;(BF)
the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.(BG)
6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,(BH)
and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.(BI)
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;[l]
He puts the depths into storehouses.(BJ)
8 Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.(BK)
9 For He spoke, and it came into being;
He commanded, and it came into existence.(BL)
10 The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations;
He thwarts the plans of the peoples.(BM)
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation to generation.(BN)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh—
the people He has chosen to be His own possession!(BO)
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
He observes everyone.(BP)
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from His dwelling place.(BQ)
15 He alone shapes their hearts;
He considers all their works.(BR)
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.(BS)
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.(BT)
18 Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—
those who depend on His faithful love(BU)
19 to deliver them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.(BV)
20 We wait for Yahweh;(BW)
He is our help and shield.(BX)
21 For our hearts rejoice in Him(BY)
because we trust in His holy name.(BZ)
22 May Your faithful love rest on us, Yahweh,
for we put our hope in You.(CA)
Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[m](CB) who drove him out, and he departed.
1 I[n] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(CC)
2 I will boast in the Lord;(CD)
the humble will hear and be glad.(CE)
3 Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(CF)
let us exalt His name together.(CG)
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(CH)
5 Those who look to Him are[o] radiant with joy;(CI)
their faces will never be ashamed.(CJ)
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(CK)
7 The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(CL)
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.(CM)
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!(CN)
9 You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh,
for those who fear Him lack nothing.(CO)
10 Young lions[p] lack food and go hungry,(CP)
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.(CQ)
11 Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(CR)
12 Who is the man who delights in life,
loving a long life to enjoy what is good?(CS)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.(CT)
14 Turn away from evil and do what is good;(CU)
seek peace and pursue it.(CV)
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their cry for help.(CW)
16 The face of the Lord is set
against those who do what is evil,(CX)
to erase[q] all memory of them from the earth.(CY)
17 The righteous[r] cry out, and the Lord hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.(CZ)
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit.(DA)
19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.(DB)
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.(DC)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.(DD)
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants,
and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.(DE)
Psalm 35
Prayer for Victory
Davidic.
1 Oppose my opponents, Lord;
fight those who fight me.(DF)
2 Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(DG)
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: “I am your deliverance.”(DH)
4 Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(DI)
5 Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.(DJ)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(DK)
7 They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(DL)
8 Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(DM)
9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will delight in His deliverance.(DN)
10 My very bones will say,
“Lord, who is like You,(DO)
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor or the needy from one who robs him?”(DP)
11 Malicious witnesses come forward;
they question me about things I do not know.(DQ)
12 They repay me evil for good,
making me desolate.(DR)
13 Yet when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
and my prayer was genuine.[s](DS)
14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning a mother.(DT)
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
they gathered against me.
Assailants I did not know
tore at me and did not stop.(DU)
16 With godless mockery[t]
they gnashed their teeth at me.(DV)
17 Lord, how long will You look on?(DW)
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my only one from the young lions.(DX)
18 I will praise You in the great congregation;
I will exalt You among many people.(DY)
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause(DZ)
look at me maliciously.(EA)
20 For they do not speak in friendly ways,
but contrive deceitful schemes[u]
against those who live peacefully in the land.(EB)
21 They open their mouths wide against me and say,
“Aha, aha! We saw it!”[v](EC)
22 You saw it, Lord; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.(ED)
23 Wake up and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!(EE)
24 Vindicate me, Lord my God,
in keeping with Your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(EF)
25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! Just what we wanted.”
Do not let them say,
“We have swallowed him up!”(EG)
26 Let those who rejoice at my misfortune
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and reproach.(EH)
27 Let those who want my vindication
shout for joy and be glad;
let them continually say,
“The Lord be exalted.
He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being.”(EI)
28 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long.(EJ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:5 Or You have redeemed, or You will redeem, or spirit. Redeem
- Psalm 31:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer read You
- Psalm 31:9 Lit my soul and my belly
- Psalm 31:10 LXX, Syr, Sym read affliction
- Psalm 31:17 LXX reads brought down
- Psalm 31:17 Or them perish, or them wail
- Psalm 31:20 Lit canopy
- Psalm 31:21 Or a fortified city
- Psalm 31:24 Lit Let your heart be strong
- Psalm 32:4 Hb obscure
- Psalm 32:6 Lit time of finding
- Psalm 33:7 LXX, Tg, Syr, Vg, Jer read sea as in a bottle
- Psalm 34:1 Probably Achish, king of Gath
- Psalm 34:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 34:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Syr, Jer read Look to Him and be
- Psalm 34:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read The rich
- Psalm 34:16 Or cut off
- Psalm 34:17 Lit They
- Psalm 35:13 Lit prayer returned to my chest
- Psalm 35:16 Hb obscure
- Psalm 35:20 Lit but devise deceitful words
- Psalm 35:21 Lit Our eyes saw!
Psalm 31-35
New International Version
Psalm 31-35
New International Version
Psalm 31[a](A)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
2 Turn your ear to me,(D)
come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.(J)
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction(O)
and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;(S)
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,(T)
my soul and body(U) with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish(V)
and my years by groaning;(W)
my strength fails(X) because of my affliction,[b](Y)
and my bones grow weak.(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,(AA)
I am the utter contempt(AB) of my neighbors(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;(AD)
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,(AE)
“Terror on every side!”(AF)
They conspire against me(AG)
and plot to take my life.(AH)
14 But I trust(AI) in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times(AJ) are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine(AK) on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,(AM) Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent(AN) in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips(AO) be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly(AP) against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things(AQ)
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,(AR)
on those who take refuge(AS) in you.
20 In the shelter(AT) of your presence you hide(AU) them
from all human intrigues;(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the Lord,(AW)
for he showed me the wonders of his love(AX)
when I was in a city under siege.(AY)
22 In my alarm(AZ) I said,
“I am cut off(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(BB) for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!(BC)
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,(BD)
but the proud he pays back(BE) in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,(BF)
all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.[c]
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.(BG)
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them(BH)
and in whose spirit is no deceit.(BI)
3 When I kept silent,(BJ)
my bones wasted away(BK)
through my groaning(BL) all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy(BM) on me;
my strength was sapped(BN)
as in the heat of summer.[d]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.(BO)
I said, “I will confess(BP)
my transgressions(BQ) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.(BR)
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;(BS)
surely the rising(BT) of the mighty waters(BU)
will not reach them.(BV)
7 You are my hiding place;(BW)
you will protect me from trouble(BX)
and surround me with songs of deliverance.(BY)
8 I will instruct(BZ) you and teach you(CA) in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on(CB) you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle(CC)
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,(CD)
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts(CE) in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord(CF) and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully(CG) to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting(CH) for the upright(CI) to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;(CJ)
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(CK)
3 Sing to him a new song;(CL)
play skillfully, and shout for joy.(CM)
4 For the word of the Lord is right(CN) and true;(CO)
he is faithful(CP) in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(CQ)
the earth is full of his unfailing love.(CR)
6 By the word(CS) of the Lord the heavens were made,(CT)
their starry host(CU) by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters(CV) of the sea into jars[e];(CW)
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;(CX)
let all the people of the world(CY) revere him.(CZ)
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded,(DA) and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils(DB) the plans(DC) of the nations;(DD)
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(DE) forever,
the purposes(DF) of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(DG)
the people he chose(DH) for his inheritance.(DI)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(DJ)
and sees all mankind;(DK)
14 from his dwelling place(DL) he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(DM) the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.(DN)
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(DO)
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(DP) is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(DQ) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(DR)
19 to deliver them from death(DS)
and keep them alive in famine.(DT)
20 We wait(DU) in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,(DV)
for we trust in his holy name.(DW)
22 May your unfailing love(DX) be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 34[f][g]
Of David. When he pretended to be insane(DY) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;(DZ)
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory(EA) in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(EB)
3 Glorify the Lord(EC) with me;
let us exalt(ED) his name together.
4 I sought the Lord,(EE) and he answered me;
he delivered(EF) me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;(EG)
their faces are never covered with shame.(EH)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.(EI)
7 The angel of the Lord(EJ) encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers(EK) them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;(EL)
blessed is the one who takes refuge(EM) in him.
9 Fear the Lord,(EN) you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.(EO)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(EP)
11 Come, my children, listen(EQ) to me;
I will teach you(ER) the fear of the Lord.(ES)
12 Whoever of you loves life(ET)
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(EU) from evil
and your lips from telling lies.(EV)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(EW)
seek peace(EX) and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord(EY) are on the righteous,(EZ)
and his ears are attentive(FA) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(FB) those who do evil,(FC)
to blot out their name(FD) from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(FE) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(FF) to the brokenhearted(FG)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(FH)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;(FI)
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.(FJ)
21 Evil will slay the wicked;(FK)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(FL) his servants;
no one who takes refuge(FM) in him will be condemned.
Psalm 35
Of David.
1 Contend,(FN) Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight(FO) against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield(FP) and armor;
arise(FQ) and come to my aid.(FR)
3 Brandish spear(FS) and javelin[h](FT)
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.(FU)”
4 May those who seek my life(FV)
be disgraced(FW) and put to shame;(FX)
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back(FY) in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff(FZ) before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord(GA) driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net(GB) for me without cause(GC)
and without cause dug a pit(GD) for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—(GE)
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit,(GF) to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice(GG) in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.(GH)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you,(GI) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(GJ) for them,
the poor and needy(GK) from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses(GL) come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(GM)
and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(GN)
and humbled myself with fasting.(GO)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning(GP)
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(GQ)
assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
They slandered(GR) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[i](GS)
they gnashed their teeth(GT) at me.
17 How long,(GU) Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life(GV) from these lions.(GW)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(GX)
among the throngs(GY) I will praise you.(GZ)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies(HA) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(HB)
maliciously wink the eye.(HC)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations(HD)
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(HE) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(HF)
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen(HG) this; do not be silent.
Do not be far(HH) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(HI) and rise(HJ) to my defense!
Contend(HK) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat(HL) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(HM) just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(HN)
26 May all who gloat(HO) over my distress(HP)
be put to shame(HQ) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(HR)
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(HS)
shout for joy(HT) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights(HU) in the well-being of his servant.”(HV)
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
- Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
- Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.
- Psalm 33:7 Or sea as into a heap
- Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
- Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
- Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
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