Psalm 34

The Lord Delivers the Righteous

Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[a](A) who drove him out, and he departed.

I[b] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(B)
I will boast in the Lord;(C)
the humble will hear and be glad.(D)
Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(E)
let us exalt His name together.(F)

I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(G)
Those who look to Him are[c] radiant with joy;(H)
their faces will never be ashamed.(I)
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(J)
The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(K)

Taste and see that the Lord is good.(L)
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!(M)
You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh,
for those who fear Him lack nothing.(N)
10 Young lions[d] lack food and go hungry,(O)
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.(P)

11 Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(Q)
12 Who is the man who delights in life,
loving a long life to enjoy what is good?(R)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceitful speech.(S)
14 Turn away from evil and do what is good;(T)
seek peace and pursue it.(U)

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their cry for help.(V)
16 The face of the Lord is set
against those who do what is evil,(W)
to erase[e] all memory of them from the earth.(X)
17 The righteous[f] cry out, and the Lord hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.(Y)
18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
He saves those crushed in spirit.(Z)

19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.(AA)
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.(AB)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.(AC)
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants,
and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.(AD)

Psalm 35

Prayer for Victory

Davidic.

Oppose my opponents, Lord;
fight those who fight me.(AE)
Take Your shields—large and small—
and come to my aid.(AF)
Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers,
and assure me: “I am your deliverance.”(AG)

Let those who seek to kill me
be disgraced and humiliated;
let those who plan to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.(AH)
Let them be like chaff in the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.(AI)
Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(AJ)
They hid their net for me without cause;
they dug a pit for me without cause.(AK)
Let ruin come on him unexpectedly,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his ruin.(AL)

Then I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will delight in His deliverance.(AM)
10 My very bones will say,
Lord, who is like You,(AN)
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor or the needy from one who robs him?”(AO)

11 Malicious witnesses come forward;
they question me about things I do not know.(AP)
12 They repay me evil for good,
making me desolate.(AQ)
13 Yet when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting,
and my prayer was genuine.[g](AR)
14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;
I was bowed down with grief,
like one mourning a mother.(AS)
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.(AT)
16 With godless mockery[h]
they gnashed their teeth at me.(AU)

17 Lord, how long will You look on?(AV)
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my only one from the young lions.(AW)
18 I will praise You in the great congregation;
I will exalt You among many people.(AX)
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause(AY)
look at me maliciously.(AZ)
20 For they do not speak in friendly ways,
but contrive deceitful schemes[i]
against those who live peacefully in the land.(BA)
21 They open their mouths wide against me and say,
“Aha, aha! We saw it!”[j](BB)

22 You saw it, Lord; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.(BC)
23 Wake up and rise to my defense,
to my cause, my God and my Lord!(BD)
24 Vindicate me, Lord my God,
in keeping with Your righteousness,
and do not let them rejoice over me.(BE)
25 Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! Just what we wanted.”
Do not let them say,
“We have swallowed him up!”(BF)
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.(BG)

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.”(BH)
28 And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long.(BI)

Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and God’s Love

For the choir director. A psalm of David, the Lord’s servant.

An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked person:
There is no dread of God before his eyes,(BJ)
for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to discover and hate his sin.(BK)
The words of his mouth are malicious and deceptive;(BL)
he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.(BM)
Even on his bed he makes malicious plans.(BN)
He sets himself on a path that is not good
and does not reject evil.(BO)

Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.(BP)
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.(BQ)
Lord, You preserve man and beast.(BR)
God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.(BS)
They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,(BT)
for with You is life’s fountain.(BU)
In Your light we will see light.(BV)

10 Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,
and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.(BW)
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant man come near me
or the hand of the wicked one drive me away.(BX)
12 There the evildoers fall;
they have been thrown down and cannot rise.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 Probably Achish, king of Gath
  2. Psalm 34:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
  3. Psalm 34:5 Some Hb mss, LXX, Aq, Syr, Jer read Look to Him and be
  4. Psalm 34:10 LXX, Syr, Vg read The rich
  5. Psalm 34:16 Or cut off
  6. Psalm 34:17 Lit They
  7. Psalm 35:13 Lit prayer returned to my chest
  8. Psalm 35:16 Hb obscure
  9. Psalm 35:20 Lit but devise deceitful words
  10. Psalm 35:21 Lit Our eyes saw!

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
    let us exalt(F) his name together.

I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers(M) them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
    I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
    seek peace(Z) and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
    and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
    to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(AJ)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.(AL)

21 Evil will slay the wicked;(AM)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(AN) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge(AO) in him will be condemned.

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(AP) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(AQ) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(AR) and armor;
    arise(AS) and come to my aid.(AT)
Brandish spear(AU) and javelin[c](AV)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(AW)

May those who seek my life(AX)
    be disgraced(AY) and put to shame;(AZ)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(BA) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(BB) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(BC) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(BD) for me without cause(BE)
    and without cause dug a pit(BF) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(BG)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(BH) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(BI) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(BJ)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(BK) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(BL) for them,
    the poor and needy(BM) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(BN) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(BO)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(BP)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(BQ)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(BR)
    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;(BS)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(BT) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[d](BU)
    they gnashed their teeth(BV) at me.

17 How long,(BW) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(BX) from these lions.(BY)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(BZ)
    among the throngs(CA) I will praise you.(CB)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(CC) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(CD)
    maliciously wink the eye.(CE)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(CF)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(CG) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(CH)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(CI) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(CJ) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(CK) and rise(CL) to my defense!
    Contend(CM) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(CN) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(CO) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(CP)

26 May all who gloat(CQ) over my distress(CR)
    be put to shame(CS) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(CT)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(CU)
    shout for joy(CV) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(CW) in the well-being of his servant.”(CX)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(CY)
    your praises all day long.(CZ)

Psalm 36[e]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[f](DA)
There is no fear(DB) of God
    before their eyes.(DC)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(DD)
The words of their mouths(DE) are wicked and deceitful;(DF)
    they fail to act wisely(DG) or do good.(DH)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(DI)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(DJ)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(DK)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(DL) to the skies.(DM)
Your righteousness(DN) is like the highest mountains,(DO)
    your justice like the great deep.(DP)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(DQ)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(DR)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(DS)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(DT)
    you give them drink from your river(DU) of delights.(DV)
For with you is the fountain of life;(DW)
    in your light(DX) we see light.

10 Continue your love(DY) to those who know you,(DZ)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(EA)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(EB) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(EC)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
  3. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  4. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
  5. Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
  6. Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.