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Psalm 73-89
GOD’S WORD Translation
Psalm 73-89
GOD’S WORD Translation
BOOK THREE
(Psalms 73–89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73 God is truly good to Israel,
to those whose lives are pure.
2 But my feet had almost stumbled.
They had almost slipped
3 because I was envious of arrogant people
when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy.
4 They suffer no pain.
Their bodies are healthy.
5 They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people.
They are not plagued ⌞with problems⌟ like others.
6 That is why they wear arrogance like a necklace
and acts of violence like clothing.
7 Their eyes peer out from their fat faces,
and their imaginations run wild.
8 They ridicule.
They speak maliciously.
They speak arrogantly about oppression.
9 They verbally attack heaven,
and they order people around on earth.
10 That is why God’s people turn to wickedness
and swallow their words.
11 Then wicked people ask, “What does God know?”
“Does the Most High know anything?”
12 Look how wicked they are!
They never have a worry.
They grow more and more wealthy.
13 I’ve received no reward for keeping my life pure
and washing my hands of any blame.
14 I’m plagued ⌞with problems⌟ all day long,
and every morning my punishment ⌞begins again⌟.
15 If I had said, “I will continue to talk like that,”
I would have betrayed God’s people.
16 But when I tried to understand this,
it was too difficult for me.
17 Only when I came into God’s holy place
did I ⌞finally⌟ understand what would happen to them.
18 You put them in slippery places
and make them fall into ruin.
19 They are suddenly destroyed.
They are completely swept away by terror!
20 As ⌞someone⌟ gets rid of a dream when he wakes up,
so you, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them
when you wake up.
21 When my heart was filled with bitterness
and my mind was seized ⌞with envy⌟,
22 I was stupid, and I did not understand.
I was like a dumb animal in your presence.
23 Yet, I am always with you.
You hold on to my right hand.
24 With your advice you guide me,
and in the end you will take me to glory.
25 As long as I have you,
I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth.
26 My body and mind may waste away,
but God remains the foundation of my life
and my inheritance forever.
27 Without a doubt, those who are far from you will die.
You destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 Being united with God is my highest good.
I have made the Almighty Lord my refuge
so that I may report everything that he has done.
A maskil [a] by Asaph.
74 Why, O God, have you rejected us forever?
Why does your anger
smolder against the sheep in your care?
2 Remember your congregation.
Long ago you made it your own.
You bought this tribe to be your possession.
This tribe is Mount Zion, where you have made your home.
3 Turn your steps toward these pathetic ruins.
The enemy has destroyed everything in the holy temple.
4 Your opponents have roared inside your meeting place.
They have set up their own emblems as symbols.
5 Starting from its entrance, they hacked away
like a woodcutter in a forest.
6 They smashed all its carved paneling with axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your holy place to the ground.
They dishonored the place where you live among us.
8 They said to themselves, “We will crush them.”
They burned every meeting place of God in the land.
9 We no longer see miraculous signs.
There are no prophets anymore.
No one knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, will the enemy insult us?
Will the enemy despise you forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, especially your right hand?
Take your hands out of your pockets.
Destroy your enemies!
12 And yet, from long ago God has been my king,
the one who has been victorious throughout the earth.
13 You stirred up the sea with your own strength.
You smashed the heads of sea monsters in the water.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave them to the creatures of the desert for food.
15 You opened the springs and brooks.
You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day and the night are yours.
You set the moon and the sun in their places.
17 You determined all the boundaries of the earth.
You created summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy insulted you, O Lord.
Remember how an entire nation of godless fools despised your name.
19 Do not hand over the soul of your dove to wild animals.
Do not forget the life of your oppressed people forever.
20 Consider your promise [b]
because every dark corner of the land is filled with violence.
21 Do not let oppressed people come back in disgrace.
Let weak and needy people praise your name.
22 Arise, O God!
Fight for your own cause!
Remember how godless fools insult you all day long.
23 Do not forget the shouting of your opponents.
Do not forget the uproar made by those who attack you.
For the choir director; al tashcheth; a psalm by Asaph; a song.
75 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks.
You are present, and your miracles confirm that.
2 When I choose the right time,
I will judge fairly.
3 When the earth and everyone who lives on it begin to melt,
I will make its foundations as solid as rock. Selah
4 I said to those who brag, “Don’t brag,”
and to wicked people,
“Don’t raise your weapons.
5 Don’t raise your weapons so proudly
or speak so defiantly.”
6 The ⌞authority⌟ to reward someone does not ⌞come⌟
from the east,
from the west,
or ⌞even⌟ from the wilderness.
7 God alone is the judge.
He punishes one person and rewards another.
8 A cup is in the Lord’s hand.
(Its foaming wine is thoroughly mixed with spices.)
He will empty it,
⌞and⌟ all the wicked people on earth
will have to drink every last drop.
9 But I will speak ⌞about your miracles⌟ forever.
I will make music to praise the God of Jacob.
10 I will destroy all the weapons of wicked people,
but the weapons of righteous people will be raised proudly.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a psalm by Asaph; a song.
76 God is known in Judah.
His name is great in Israel.
2 His tent is in Salem.
His home is in Zion.
3 There he destroyed flaming arrows,
shields, swords, and weapons of war. Selah
4 You are the radiant one.
You are more majestic than the ancient mountains.[c]
5 Brave people were robbed.
They died.
None of the warriors were able to lift a hand.
6 At your stern warning, O God of Jacob,
chariot riders and horses were put to sleep.
7 You alone must be feared!
Who can stand in your presence when you become angry?
8 From heaven you announced a verdict.
The earth was fearful and silent
9 when you rose to judge, O God,
when you rose to save every oppressed person on earth. Selah
10 Even angry mortals will praise you.
You will wear the remainder of ⌞their⌟ anger.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.
Let everyone around him bring gifts to the one who must be feared.
12 He cuts short the lives of influential people.
He terrifies the kings of the earth.
For the choir director; according to Jeduthun; a psalm by Asaph.
77 Loudly, I cried to God.
Loudly, I cried to God
so that he would open his ears to ⌞hear⌟ me.
2 On the day I was in trouble, I went to the Lord for help.
At night I stretched out my hands in prayer without growing tired.
Yet, my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I sigh as I remember God.
I begin to lose hope as I think about him. Selah
4 (You keep my eyelids open.)
I am so upset that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
the years long ago.
6 I remember my song in the night
and reflect ⌞on it⌟.
My spirit searches ⌞for an answer⌟:
7 Will the Lord reject ⌞me⌟ for all time?
Will he ever accept me?
8 Has his mercy come to an end forever?
Has his promise been canceled throughout every generation?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he locked up his compassion because of his anger? Selah
10 Then I said, “It makes me feel sick
that the power of the Most High is no longer the same.”
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord.
I will remember your ancient miracles.
12 I will reflect on all your actions
and think about what you have done.
13 O God, your ways are holy!
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles.
You have made your strength known among the nations.
15 With your might you have defended your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The water saw you, O God.
The water saw you and shook.
Even the depths of the sea trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water.
The sky thundered.
Even your arrows flashed in every direction.
18 The sound of your thunder rumbled in the sky.
Streaks of lightning lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road went through the sea.
Your path went through raging water,
but your footprints could not be seen.
20 Like a shepherd, you led your people.
You had Moses and Aaron take them by the hand.
A maskil by Asaph.
78 Open your ears to my teachings, my people.
Turn your ears to the words from my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth to illustrate points.
I will explain what has been hidden long ago,
3 things that we have heard and known about,
things that our parents have told us.
4 We will not hide them from our children.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s power and great deeds
and the miraculous things he has done.
5 He established written instructions for Jacob’s people.
He gave his teachings to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors to make them known to their children
6 so that the next generation would know them.
Children yet to be born ⌞would learn them⌟.
They will grow up and tell their children
7 to trust God, to remember what he has done,
and to obey his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
a stubborn and rebellious generation.
Their hearts were not loyal.
Their spirits were not faithful to God.
9 The men of Ephraim, well-equipped with bows ⌞and arrows⌟,
turned ⌞and ran⌟ on the day of battle.
10 They had not been faithful to God’s promise.[d]
They refused to follow his teachings.
11 They forgot what he had done—
the miracles that he had shown them.
12 In front of their ancestors he performed miracles
in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and led them through it.
He made the waters stand up like a wall.
14 He guided them by a cloud during the day
and by a fiery light throughout the night.
15 He split rocks in the desert.
He gave them plenty to drink, an ocean of water.
16 He made streams come out of a rock.
He made the water flow like rivers.
17 They continued to sin against him,
to rebel in the desert against the Most High.
18 They deliberately tested God by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God by saying,
“Can God prepare a banquet in the desert?
20 True, he did strike a rock,
and water did gush out,
and the streams did overflow.
But can he also give us bread or provide us, his people, with meat?”
21 When the Lord heard this, he became furious.
His fire burned against Jacob
and his anger flared up at Israel
22 because they did not believe God
or trust him to save them.
23 In spite of that, he commanded the clouds above
and opened the doors of heaven.
24 He rained manna down on them to eat
and gave them grain from heaven.
25 Humans ate the bread of the mighty ones,
and God sent them plenty of food.
26 He made the east wind blow in the heavens
and guided the south wind with his might.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds like the sand on the seashore.
28 He made the birds fall in the middle of his camp,
all around his dwelling place.
29 They ate more than enough.
He gave them what they wanted,
30 but they still wanted more.
While the food was still in their mouths,
31 the anger of God flared up against them.
He killed their strongest men and slaughtered the best young men in Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they continued to sin,
and they no longer believed in his miracles.
33 He brought their days to an end like a whisper in the wind.
He brought their years to an end in terror.
34 When he killed ⌞some of⌟ them, ⌞the rest⌟ searched for him.
They turned from their sins and eagerly looked for God.
35 They remembered that God was their rock,
that the Most High was their defender.
36 They flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not loyal to him.
They were not faithful to his promise.
38 But he is compassionate.
He forgave their sin.
He did not destroy them.
He restrained his anger many times.
He did not display all of his fury.
39 He remembered that they were only flesh and blood,
a breeze that blows and does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness!
How often they caused him grief in the desert!
41 Again and again they tested God,
and they pushed the Holy One of Israel to the limit.
42 They did not remember his power—
the day he freed them from their oppressor,
43 when he performed his miraculous signs in Egypt,
his wonders in the fields of Zoan.
44 He turned their rivers into blood
so that they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent a swarm of flies that bit them
and frogs that ruined them.
46 He gave their crops to grasshoppers
and their produce to locusts.
47 He killed their vines with hail
and their fig trees with frost.
48 He let the hail strike their cattle
and bolts of lightning strike their livestock.
49 He sent his burning anger, rage, fury, and hostility against them.
He sent an army of destroying angels.
50 He cleared a path for his anger.
He did not spare them.
He let the plague take their lives.
51 He slaughtered every firstborn in Egypt,
the ones born in the tents of Ham when their fathers were young.
52 But he led his own people out like sheep
and guided them like a flock through the wilderness.
53 He led them safely.
They had no fear while the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them into his holy land,
to this mountain that his power had won.
55 He forced nations out of their way
and gave them the land of the nations as their inheritance.
He settled the tribes of Israel in their own tents.
56 They tested God Most High and rebelled against him.
They did not obey his written instructions.
57 They were disloyal and treacherous like their ancestors.
They were like arrows shot from a defective bow.
58 They made him angry because of their illegal worship sites.
They made him furious because they worshiped idols.
59 When God heard, he became furious.
He completely rejected Israel.
60 He abandoned his dwelling place in Shiloh,
the tent where he had lived among humans.
61 He allowed his power to be taken captive
and handed his glory over to an oppressor.
62 He let swords kill his people.
He was furious with those who belonged to him.
63 Fire consumed his best young men,
so his virgins heard no wedding songs.
64 His priests were cut down with swords.
The widows ⌞of his priests⌟ could not even weep ⌞for them⌟.
65 Then the Lord woke up like one who had been sleeping,
like a warrior sobering up from ⌞too much⌟ wine.
66 He struck his enemies from behind
and disgraced them forever.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph.
He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which he loved.
69 He built his holy place to be like the high heavens,
like the earth which he made to last for a long time.
70 He chose his servant David.
He took him from the sheep pens.
71 He brought him from tending the ewes that had lambs
so that David could be the shepherd of the people of Jacob,
of Israel, the people who belonged to the Lord.
72 With unselfish devotion David became their shepherd.
With skill he guided them.
A psalm by Asaph.
79 O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you.
They have dishonored your holy temple.
They have left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants
to the birds for food.
They have given the flesh of your godly ones
to the animals.
3 They have shed the blood of your people around Jerusalem
as though it were water.
There is no one to bury your people.
4 We have become a disgrace to our neighbors,
an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.
5 How long, O Lord?
Will you remain angry forever?
Will your fury continue to burn like fire?
6 Pour your fury on the nations that do not know you,
on the kingdoms that have not called you.
7 They have devoured Jacob.
They have destroyed his home.
8 Do not hold the crimes of our ancestors against us.
Reach out to us soon with your compassion,
because we are helpless.
9 Help us, O God, our savior, for the glory of your name.
Rescue us, and forgive our sins for the honor of your name.
10 Why should the nations ⌞be allowed to⌟ say,
“Where is their God?”
Let us watch as the nations learn
that there is punishment for shedding the blood of your servants.
11 Let the groans of prisoners come into your presence.
With your powerful arm rescue those who are condemned to death.
12 Pay each one of our neighbors back
with seven times the number of insults they used to insult you, O Lord.
13 Then we, your people, the flock in your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever.
We will praise you throughout every generation.
For the choir director; according to shoshannim eduth; by Asaph; a psalm.
80 Open your ears, O Shepherd of Israel,
the one who leads ⌞the descendants of⌟ Joseph like sheep,
the one who is enthroned over the angels.[e]
2 Appear in front of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Wake up your power, and come to save us.
3 O God, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God, commander of armies, how long will you smolder in anger
against the prayer of your people?
5 You made them eat tears as food.
You often made them drink ⌞their own⌟ tears.
6 You made us a source of conflict to our neighbors,
and our enemies made fun of us.
7 O God, commander of armies, restore us and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
8 You brought a vine from Egypt.
You forced out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it
so that it took root and filled the land.
10 Its shade covered the mountains.
Its branches covered the mighty cedars.
11 It reached out with its branches to the Mediterranean Sea.
Its shoots reached the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the stone fences around this vine?
All who pass by are picking its fruit.
13 Wild boars from the forest graze on it.
Wild animals devour it.
14 O God, commander of armies, come back!
Look from heaven and see!
Come to help this vine.
15 Take care of what your right hand planted,
the son you strengthened for yourself.
16 The vine has been cut down and burned.
Let them be destroyed by the threatening look on your face.
17 Let your power rest on the man you have chosen,
the son of man you strengthened for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn away from you.
Give us life again, and we will call on you.
19 O Lord God, commander of armies, restore us, and smile on us
so that we may be saved.
For the choir director; on the gittith; [f] by Asaph.
81 Sing joyfully to God, our strength.
Shout happily to the God of Jacob.
2 Begin a psalm, and strike a tambourine.
Play lyres and harps with their pleasant music.
3 Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon,
on the day of the full moon,
on our festival days.
4 This is a law for Israel,
a legal decision from the God of Jacob.
5 These are the instructions God set in place for Joseph
when Joseph rose to power over Egypt.
I heard a message I did not understand:
6 “I removed the burden from his shoulder.
His hands were freed from the basket.
7 When you were in trouble, you called out ⌞to me⌟, and I rescued you.
I was hidden in thunder, but I answered you.
I tested your ⌞loyalty⌟ at the oasis of Meribah. Selah
8 Listen, my people, and I will warn you.
Israel, if you would only listen to me!
9 Never keep any strange god among you.
Never worship a foreign god.
10 I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But my people did not listen to me.
Israel wanted nothing to do with me.
12 So I let them go their own stubborn ways
and follow their own advice.
13 If only my people would listen to me!
If only Israel would follow me!
14 I would quickly defeat their enemies.
I would turn my power against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe in front of him,
and their time ⌞for punishment⌟ would last forever.
16 But I would feed Israel with the finest wheat
and satisfy them with honey from a rock.”
A psalm by Asaph.
82 God takes his place in his own assembly.
He pronounces judgment among the gods:
2 “How long are you going to judge unfairly?
How long are you going to side with wicked people?” Selah
3 Defend weak people and orphans.
Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor.
4 Rescue weak and needy people.
Help them escape the power of wicked people.
5 Wicked people do not know or understand anything.
As they walk around in the dark,
all the foundations of the earth shake.
6 I said, “You are gods.
You are all sons of the Most High.
7 You will certainly die like humans
and fall like any prince.”
8 Arise, O God!
Judge the earth, because all the nations belong to you.
A song; a psalm by Asaph.
83 O God, do not remain silent.
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
Do not keep quiet, O God.
2 Look, your enemies are in an uproar.
Those who hate you hold their heads high.
3 They make plans in secret against your people
and plot together against those you treasure.
4 They say, “Let’s wipe out their nation
so that the name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
5 They agree completely on their plan.
They form an alliance against you:
6 the tents from Edom and Ishmael,
Moab and Hagar,
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia, along with those who live in Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them.
They helped the descendants of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them what you did to Midian,
to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 They were destroyed at Endor.
They became manure to fertilize the ground.
11 Treat their influential people as you treated Oreb and Zeeb.
Treat all their leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, “Let’s take God’s pasturelands for ourselves.”
13 O my God, blow them away like tumbleweeds,[g]
like husks in the wind.
14 Pursue them with your storms,
and terrify them with your windstorms
15 the way fire burns a forest
and flames set mountains on fire.[h]
16 Let their faces blush with shame, O Lord,
so that they must look to you for help.
17 Let them be put to shame and terrified forever.
Let them die in disgrace
18 so that they must acknowledge you.
Your name is the Lord.
You alone are the Most High God of the whole earth.
For the choir director; on the gittith; a psalm by Korah’s descendants.
84 Your dwelling place is lovely, O Lord of Armies!
2 My soul longs and yearns
for the Lord’s courtyards.
My whole body shouts for joy to the living God.
3 Even sparrows find a home,
and swallows find a nest for themselves.
There they hatch their young
near your altars, O Lord of Armies, my king and my God.
4 Blessed are those who live in your house.
They are always praising you. Selah
5 Blessed are those who find strength in you.
Their hearts are on the road ⌞that leads to you⌟.
6 As they pass through a valley where balsam trees grow,[i]
they make it a place of springs.
The early rains cover it with blessings.[j]
7 Their strength grows as they go along
until each one of them appears
in front of God in Zion.
8 O Lord God, commander of armies, hear my prayer.
Open your ears, O God of Jacob. Selah
9 Look at our shield, O God.
Look with favor on the face of your anointed one.
10 One day in your courtyards is better than a thousand ⌞anywhere else⌟.
I would rather stand in the entrance to my God’s house
than live inside wicked people’s homes.
11 The Lord God is a sun and shield.
The Lord grants favor and honor.
He does not hold back any blessing
from those who live innocently.
12 O Lord of Armies, blessed is the person who trusts you.
For the choir director; a psalm by Korah’s descendants.
85 You favored your land, O Lord.
You restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You removed your people’s guilt.
You pardoned all their sins. Selah
3 You laid aside all your fury.
You turned away from your burning anger.
4 Restore us, O God, our savior.
Put an end to your anger against us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you ever let go of your anger in the generations to come?
6 Won’t you restore our lives again
so that your people may find joy in you?
7 Show us your mercy, O Lord,
by giving us your salvation.
8 I want to hear what God the Lord says,
because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones.
But they must not go back to their stupidity.
9 Indeed, his salvation is near those who fear him,
and ⌞his⌟ glory will remain in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met.
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth sprouts from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will certainly give us what is good,
and our land will produce crops.
13 Righteousness will go ahead of him
and make a path for his steps.
A prayer by David.
86 Turn your ear ⌞toward me⌟, O Lord.
Answer me, because I am oppressed and needy.
2 Protect me, because I am faithful ⌞to you⌟.
Save your servant who trusts you. You are my God.
3 Have pity on me, O Lord,
because I call out to you all day long.
4 Give me joy, O Lord,
because I lift my soul to you.
5 You, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you.
6 Open your ears to my prayer, O Lord.
Pay attention when I plead for mercy.
7 When I am in trouble, I call out to you
because you answer me.
8 No god is like you, O Lord.
No one can do what you do.
9 All the nations that you have made
will bow in your presence, O Lord.
They will honor you.
10 Indeed, you are great, a worker of miracles.
You alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
so that I may live in your truth.
Focus my heart on fearing you.
12 I will give thanks to you with all my heart, O Lord my God.
I will honor you forever
13 because your mercy toward me is great.
You have rescued me from the depths of hell.
14 O God, arrogant people attack me,
and a mob of ruthless people seeks my life.
They think nothing of you.
15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient, always faithful and ready to forgive.
16 Turn toward me, and have pity on me.
Give me your strength because I am your servant.
Save me because I am the son of your female servant.
17 Grant me some proof of your goodness
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame.
You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
By Korah’s descendants; a psalm; a song.
87 ⌞The city⌟ the Lord has founded ⌞stands⌟ on holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the city of Zion
more than any other place in Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said about you, O city of God! Selah
4 ⌞The Lord says,⌟ “I will add Egypt and Babylon
as well as Philistia, Tyre, and Sudan
to the list of those who acknowledge me.
Each nation ⌞will claim that it⌟ was born there.”
5 But it will be said of Zion,
“Every race is born in it.
The Most High will make it secure.”
6 The Lord will record this in the Book of Nations:
“Every race ⌞claims that it⌟ was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers will sing,
“Zion is the source of all our blessings.”
A song; a psalm by Korah’s descendants; for the choir director; according to mahalath leannoth; [k] a maskil by Heman the Ezrahite.
88 O Lord God, my savior,
I cry out to you during the day and at night.
2 Let my prayer come into your presence.
Turn your ear to hear my cries.
3 My soul is filled with troubles,
and my life comes closer to the grave.
4 I am numbered with those who go into the pit.
I am like a man without any strength—
5 abandoned with the dead,
like those who have been killed and lie in graves,
like those whom you no longer remember,
who are cut off from your power.
6 You have put me in the bottom of the pit—in deep, dark places.
7 Your rage lies heavily on me.
You make all your waves pound on me. Selah
8 You have taken my friends far away from me.
You made me disgusting to them.
I’m shut in, and I can’t get out.
9 My eyes grow weak because of my suffering.
All day long I call out to you, O Lord.
I stretch out my hands to you ⌞in prayer⌟.
10 Will you perform miracles for those who are dead?
Will the spirits of the dead rise and give thanks to you? Selah
11 Will anyone tell about your mercy in Sheol
or about your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Will anyone know about your miracles in that dark place
or about your righteousness in the place where forgotten people live?
13 I cry out to you for help, O Lord,
and in the morning my prayer will come into your presence.
14 Why do you reject my soul, O Lord?
Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and near death.
I have endured your terrors, and now I am in despair.
16 Your burning anger has swept over me.
Your terrors have destroyed me.
17 They swirl around me all day long like water.
They surround me on all sides.
18 You have taken my loved ones and friends far away from me.
Darkness is my only friend!
A maskil by Ethan the Ezrahite.
89 I will sing forever about the evidence of your mercy, O Lord.
I will tell about your faithfulness to every generation.
2 I said, “Your mercy will last forever.
Your faithfulness stands firm in the heavens.”
3 ⌞You said,⌟ “I have made a promise [l] to my chosen one.
I swore this oath to my servant David:
4 ‘I will make your dynasty continue forever.
I built your throne to last throughout every generation.’ ” Selah
5 O Lord, the heavens praise your miracles
and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 Who in the skies can compare with the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?
7 God is terrifying in the council of the holy ones.
He is greater and more awe-inspiring than those who surround him.
8 O Lord God of Armies, who is like you?
Mighty Lord, even your faithfulness surrounds you.
9 You rule the raging sea.
When its waves rise, you quiet them.
10 You crushed Rahab; [m] it was like a corpse.
With your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours.
The earth is also yours.
You made the world and everything in it.
12 You created north and south.
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing your name joyfully.
13 Your arm is mighty.
Your hand is strong.
Your right hand is lifted high.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne.
Mercy and truth stand in front of you.
15 Blessed are the people who know how to praise you.
They walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.
16 They find joy in your name all day long.
They are joyful in your righteousness
17 because you are the glory of their strength.
By your favor you give us victory.
18 Our shield belongs to the Lord.
Our king belongs to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Once in a vision you said to your faithful ones:
“I set a boy above warriors.
I have raised up one chosen from the people.
20 I found my servant David.
I anointed him with my holy oil.
21 My hand is ready to help him.
My arm will also give him strength.
22 No enemy will take him by surprise.
No wicked person will mistreat him.
23 I will crush his enemies in front of him
and defeat those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and mercy will be with him,
and in my name he will be victorious.
25 I will put his ⌞left⌟ hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 Yes, I will make him the firstborn.
He will be the Most High to the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy will stay with him forever.
My promise to him is unbreakable.
29 I will make his dynasty endure forever
and his throne like the days of heaven.
30 “If his descendants abandon my teachings
and do not live by my rules,
31 if they violate my laws
and do not obey my commandments,
32 then with a rod I will punish their rebellion
and their crimes with beatings.
33 But I will not take my mercy away from him
or allow my truth to become a lie.
34 I will not dishonor my promise
or alter my own agreement.
35 On my holiness I have taken an oath once and for all:
I will not lie to David.
36 His dynasty will last forever.
His throne will be in my presence like the sun.
37 Like the moon his throne will stand firm forever.
It will be like a faithful witness in heaven.”
38 But you have despised, rejected,
and become angry with your anointed one.
39 You have refused to recognize the promise to your servant
and have thrown his crown into the dirt.
40 You have broken through all his walls
and have laid his fortified cities in ruins.
41 (Everyone who passed by robbed him.
He has become the object of his neighbors’ scorn.)
42 You held the right hand of his enemies high
and made all of his adversaries rejoice.
43 You even took his sword out of his hand
and failed to support him in battle.
44 You put an end to his splendor
and hurled his throne to the ground.
45 You cut short the days of his youth
and covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your anger continue to burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my life is!
Have you created Adam’s descendants for no reason?
48 Can a mortal go on living and never see death?
Who can set himself free from the power of the grave? Selah
49 Where is the evidence of your mercy, Lord?
You swore an oath to David on ⌞the basis of⌟ your faithfulness.
50 Remember, O Lord,[n] how your servant [o] has been insulted.
Remember how I have carried in my heart ⌞the insults⌟ from so many people.
51 Your enemies insulted ⌞me⌟.
They insulted your Messiah [p] every step he took.
52 Thank the Lord forever.
Amen and amen!
Footnotes
- 74:0 Unknown musical term.
- 74:20 Or “covenant.”
- 76:4 Greek, Syriac; Masoretic Text “mountains of prey.”
- 78:10 Or “covenant.”
- 80:1 Or “cherubim.”
- 81:0 Unknown musical term.
- 83:13 Or “whirling dust.”
- 83:15 Verse 15 (in Hebrew) has been placed in front of verse 14 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.
- 84:6 Or “As they pass through the valley of Weeping.”
- 84:6 Or “pools.”
- 88:0 Unknown musical term.
- 89:3 Or “covenant.”
- 89:10 Rahab is the name of a demonic creature who opposes God.
- 89:50 Many Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts “Lord.”
- 89:50 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Greek, Syriac; other Hebrew manuscripts “your servants.”
- 89:51 Or “anointed one.”
Psalm 73-84
New International Version
Psalm 73-84
New International Version
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(A)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(S) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(U)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(AD) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
and my portion(AM) forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;(AN)
you destroy all who are unfaithful(AO) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(AP)
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(AQ)
I will tell of all your deeds.(AR)
Psalm 74
A maskil[d] of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected(AS) us forever?(AT)
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(AU)
2 Remember the nation you purchased(AV) long ago,(AW)
the people of your inheritance,(AX) whom you redeemed(AY)—
Mount Zion,(AZ) where you dwelt.(BA)
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(BB)
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared(BC) in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards(BD) as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.(BE)
6 They smashed all the carved(BF) paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled(BG) the dwelling place(BH) of your Name.(BI)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush(BJ) them completely!”
They burned(BK) every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;(BL)
no prophets(BM) are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(BN) will the enemy mock(BO) you, God?
Will the foe revile(BP) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(BQ)
Take it from the folds of your garment(BR) and destroy them!
13 It was you who split open the sea(BU) by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster(BV) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(BW)
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(BX)
15 It was you who opened up springs(BY) and streams;
you dried up(BZ) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.(CA)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(CB) of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.(CC)
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people(CD) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(CE) to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted(CF) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(CG)
because haunts of violence fill the dark places(CH) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(CI) retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy(CJ) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(CK) O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools(CL) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(CM) of your adversaries,(CN)
the uproar(CO) of your enemies,(CP) which rises continually.
Psalm 75[e]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;(CQ)
people tell of your wonderful deeds.(CR)
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;(CS)
it is I who judge with equity.(CT)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,(CU)
it is I who hold its pillars(CV) firm.[f]
4 To the arrogant(CW) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(CX)
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[g](CY)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.(CZ)’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:(DA)
He brings one down, he exalts another.(DB)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed(DC) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.(DD)
9 As for me, I will declare(DE) this forever;
I will sing(DF) praise to the God of Jacob,(DG)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(DH)
Psalm 76[h]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.(DI)
2 His tent is in Salem,(DJ)
his dwelling place in Zion.(DK)
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,(DL)
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[i](DM)
4 You are radiant with light,(DN)
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant(DO) lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;(DP)
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke,(DQ) God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot(DR) lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.(DS)
Who can stand(DT) before you when you are angry?(DU)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared(DV) and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,(DW)
to save all the afflicted(DX) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(DY)
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[j]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;(DZ)
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts(EA) to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77[k]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God(EB) for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress,(EC) I sought the Lord;
at night(ED) I stretched out untiring hands,(EE)
and I would not be comforted.(EF)
3 I remembered(EG) you, God, and I groaned;(EH)
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[l](EI)
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.(EJ)
5 I thought about the former days,(EK)
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?(EL)
Will he never show his favor(EM) again?
8 Has his unfailing love(EN) vanished forever?
Has his promise(EO) failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?(EP)
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(EQ)”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(ER)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles(ES) of long ago.
12 I will consider(ET) all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(EU)
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?(EV)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;(EW)
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(EX)
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters(EY) saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;(EZ)
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,(FA)
the heavens resounded with thunder;(FB)
your arrows(FC) flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,(FD)
your lightning(FE) lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.(FF)
19 Your path(FG) led through the sea,(FH)
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
Psalm 78
A maskil[m] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;(FL)
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(FM)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.(FN)
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;(FO)
we will tell the next generation(FP)
the praiseworthy deeds(FQ) of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders(FR) he has done.
5 He decreed statutes(FS) for Jacob(FT)
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,(FU)
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget(FV) his deeds
but would keep his commands.(FW)
8 They would not be like their ancestors(FX)—
a stubborn(FY) and rebellious(FZ) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(GA)
turned back on the day of battle;(GB)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(GC)
and refused to live by his law.(GD)
11 They forgot what he had done,(GE)
the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(GF) in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,(GG) in the region of Zoan.(GH)
13 He divided the sea(GI) and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.(GJ)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.(GK)
15 He split the rocks(GL) in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin(GM) against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(GN)
by demanding the food they craved.(GO)
19 They spoke against God;(GP)
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,(GQ)
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat(GR) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out(GS) against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust(GT) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;(GU)
24 he rained down manna(GV) for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(GW) from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds(GX) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(GY)
he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
even while the food was still in their mouths,(GZ)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest(HA) among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(HB)
in spite of his wonders,(HC) they did not believe.(HD)
33 So he ended their days in futility(HE)
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(HF) him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(HG)
that God Most High was their Redeemer.(HH)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(HI)
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(HJ) to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(HK)
he forgave(HL) their iniquities(HM)
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(HN)
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(HO)
a passing breeze(HP) that does not return.
40 How often they rebelled(HQ) against him in the wilderness(HR)
and grieved him(HS) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(HT)
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(HU)
42 They did not remember(HV) his power—
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(HW)
43 the day he displayed his signs(HX) in Egypt,
his wonders(HY) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(HZ)
they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(IA) that devoured them,
and frogs(IB) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(IC)
their produce to the locust.(ID)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(IE)
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their livestock(IF) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(IG)
his wrath, indignation and hostility—
a band of destroying angels.(IH)
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death
but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,(II)
the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(IJ)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(IK)
he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but the sea engulfed(IL) their enemies.(IM)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to the hill country his right hand(IN) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(IO) before them
and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(IP)
he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56 But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors(IQ) they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.(IR)
58 They angered him(IS) with their high places;(IT)
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(IU)
59 When God heard(IV) them, he was furious;(IW)
he rejected Israel(IX) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(IY)
the tent he had set up among humans.(IZ)
61 He sent the ark of his might(JA) into captivity,(JB)
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(JC)
he was furious with his inheritance.(JD)
63 Fire consumed(JE) their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs;(JF)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(JG)
and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(JH)
as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.(JI)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(JJ)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(JK)
Mount Zion,(JL) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(JM) like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(JN) his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(JO) he brought him
to be the shepherd(JP) of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(JQ)
with skillful hands he led them.
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(JR)
they have defiled(JS) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(JT)
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,(JU)
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(JV)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(JW) the dead.(JX)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(JY) and derision to those around us.(JZ)
5 How long,(KA) Lord? Will you be angry(KB) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(KC)
6 Pour out your wrath(KD) on the nations
that do not acknowledge(KE) you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;(KF)
7 for they have devoured(KG) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(KH)
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.(KI)
9 Help us,(KJ) God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.(KK)
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(KL)
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge(KM) the outpoured blood(KN) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(KO) of our neighbors seven times(KP)
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(KQ)
will praise you forever;(KR)
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
Psalm 80[n]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(KS)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(KT)
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(KU)
Awaken(KV) your might;
come and save us.(KW)
4 How long,(LA) Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(LB)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(LC)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(LD)
6 You have made us an object of derision[o] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(LE)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(LF)
8 You transplanted a vine(LG) from Egypt;
you drove out(LH) the nations and planted(LI) it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[p]
its shoots as far as the River.[q](LJ)
12 Why have you broken down its walls(LK)
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(LL) it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!(LM)
Watch over this vine,
15 the root your right hand has planted,
the son[r] you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(LN)
at your rebuke(LO) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man(LP) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive(LQ) us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Psalm 81[s]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[t] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(LR)
2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(LS)
play the melodious harp(LT) and lyre.(LU)
3 Sound the ram’s horn(LV) at the New Moon,(LW)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(LX)
5 When God went out against Egypt,(LY)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(LZ)
6 “I removed the burden(MA) from their shoulders;(MB)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(MC) and I rescued you,
I answered(MD) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[u](ME)
8 Hear me, my people,(MF) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(MG) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(MH)
Open(MI) wide your mouth and I will fill(MJ) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(MK)
12 So I gave them over(ML) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(MM)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(MN) their enemies
and turn my hand against(MO) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(MP) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(MQ)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
2 “How long will you[v] defend the unjust
and show partiality(MT) to the wicked?[w](MU)
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;(MV)
uphold the cause of the poor(MW) and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(MX)
They walk about in darkness;(MY)
all the foundations(MZ) of the earth are shaken.
6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;(NA)
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But you will die(NB) like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
Psalm 83[x]
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;(NF)
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,(NG)
how your foes rear their heads.(NH)
3 With cunning they conspire(NI) against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.(NJ)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy(NK) them as a nation,(NL)
so that Israel’s name is remembered(NM) no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(NN)
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom(NO) and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab(NP) and the Hagrites,(NQ)
7 Byblos,(NR) Ammon(NS) and Amalek,(NT)
Philistia,(NU) with the people of Tyre.(NV)
8 Even Assyria(NW) has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[y](NX)
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,(NY)
as you did to Sisera(NZ) and Jabin(OA) at the river Kishon,(OB)
10 who perished at Endor(OC)
and became like dung(OD) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(OE)
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(OF)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(OG)
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff(OH) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(OI)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(OJ)
and terrify them with your storm.(OK)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(OL) Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(OM)
may they perish in disgrace.(ON)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(OO)—
that you alone are the Most High(OP) over all the earth.(OQ)
Psalm 84[z]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[aa] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,(OR)
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns,(OS) even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.(OT)
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(OU)
Lord Almighty,(OV) my King(OW) and my God.(OX)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.[ab]
5 Blessed are those whose strength(OY) is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(OZ)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;(PA)
the autumn(PB) rains also cover it with pools.[ac]
7 They go from strength to strength,(PC)
till each appears(PD) before God in Zion.(PE)
8 Hear my prayer,(PF) Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[ad](PG) O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.(PH)
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(PI) in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(PJ) and shield;(PK)
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(PL)
from those whose walk is blameless.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
- Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.
- Psalm 76:1 In Hebrew texts 76:1-12 is numbered 76:2-13.
- Psalm 76:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 9.
- Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of mankind brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself
- Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
- Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.
- Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
- Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 80:15 Or branch
- Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
- Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
- Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
- Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
- Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
- Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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