THE TWO WAYS

1 Happy the man

who never follows the advice of the wicked,

or loiters on the way that sinners take,

or sits about with scoffers,

2 but finds his pleasure in the law of Yahweh,

and murmurs his law day and night.

3 He is like a tree that is planted

by water stream,

yielding its fruits in season,

its leaves never fading;

success attends all he does.

4 It is nothing like this with the wicked, nothing like this!

No, these are like chaff

blown away by the wind.

5 The wicked will not stand firm when Judgment comes,

nor sinners when the virtuous assemble.

6 For Yahweh takes care of the way the virtuous go,

but the way of the wicked is doomed.

1 Why this uproar among the nations?

Why this impotent muttering of pagans -

2 kings on earth rising in revolt,

princes plotting against Yahweh and his Anointed,

3 "Now let us break their fetters!

Now let us throw off their yoke!"

4 The One whose throne is in heaven sits laughing,

Yahweh derides them.

5 Then angrily he addresses them,

in a rage he strikes them with panic,

6 "This is my king, installed by me

on Zion, my holy mountain."

7 Let me proclaim Yahweh's decree;

he has told me, "You are my son,

today I have become your father.

8 Ask and I will give you the nations for your heritage,

the ends of the earth for your domain.

9 With iron sceptre you will break them,

shatter them like potter's ware."

10 So now you kings, learn wisdom,

earthly rulers, be warned:

11 serve Yahweh, fear him,

12 tremble and kiss his feet,

or he will be angry and you will perish,

for his anger is very quick to blaze.

Happy all who take shelter in him.

Psalm Of David When he was escaping from his son Absalom

1 Yahweh, more and more are turning against me,

more and more rebelling against me,

2 more and more saying about me,

"There is no help for him in his God."

3 But, Yahweh, my encircling shield,

my glory, you help me hold up my head.

4 Loudly I cry to Yahweh,

and he answers e from his holy mountain.

5 Now I can lie down and go to sleep

and then awake, for Yahweh has hold of me:

6 no fear now of those tens of thousands

posted against me wherever I turn.

7 Rise, Yahweh!

Save me, my God!

You hack all my enemies to the cheekbone,

you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 From Yahweh, rescue.

On your people, blessing!

For the choirmaster For strings Psalm of David

1 God, guardian of my rights, you answer when I call,,

when I am in trouble, you come to my relief;

now be good to me and hear my prayer.

2 You men, why shut your hearts so long,

loving delusions, chasing after lies?

3 Know this, Yahweh works wonders for those he loves,

Yahweh hears me when I call to him.

4 Tremble, give up sinning,

spend your night in quiet meditation.

5 Offer sacrifice in a right spirit, and trust Yahweh.

6 "Who will give us sight of happiness?" Many say.

Show us the light of your face, turn toward us!

7 Yahweh, you have given more joy to my heart

than others ever knew, for all their corn and wine.

8 In peace I lie down, and fall asleep at once,

since you alone, Yahweh, make me rest secure.

For the choirmaster For flutes Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh, let my words come to your ears,

spare a thought for my sighs.

2 Listen to my cry for help,

my King and my God!

3 I say this prayer to you, Yahweh,

for at daybreak you listen for my voice;

and at dawn I hold myself in readiness for you,

I watch for you.

4 You are not a God who is pleased with wickedness,

you have no room fort the wicked;

5 boasters collapse

under your scrutiny.

You hate all evil men,

6 liars you destroys;

murderers and frauds

Yahweh detests.

7 But I, so great is your love,

may come to your house,

and before your holy Temple bow down

in reverence to you.

8 Yahweh, lead me in the path f your righteousness,

for there are men lying in wait for me;

make your way plain before me.

9 Not a word from their lips can be trusted,

deep within them lies ruin,

their throats are yawning graves;

the make their tongues so smooth!

10 Pronounce them guilty, God,

make their intrigues their own downfall!

Hound them for their countless crimes,

since they have rebelled against you.

11 But joy for all who take shelter in you,

endless shouts of joy!

Since you protect them, they exult you,

those who love your name.

12 It is you who bless the virtuous man, Yahweh;

your favour is like a shield covering him.

For the choirmaster For strings, for octachord Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh do not punish me in your rage,

or reprove me in the heat of anger.

2 Pity me, Yahweh, I have no strength left,

heal me, my bones are in torment,

3 my soul is in utter torment.

Yahweh, how long will you be?

4 Come back, Yahweh, rescue my soul,

save me, if you love me;

5 for in death there is no remembrance of you;

who can sing your praises in Sheol?

6 I am worn out with groaning,

every night I drench my pillow

and soak my bed with tears;

7 my eye is wasted with grief,

I have grown old with enemies all around me.

8 Away from me, all you evil men!

For Yahweh has heard the sound of my weeping;

9 Yahweh has heard my petition,

Yahweh will accept my prayer.

10 Let all my enemies, discredited, in utter torment,

fall back in sudden confusion.

Lamentation Of David, who sang it to Yahweh about Cush the Benjaminite

1 Yahweh my God, I take shelter in you;

from all who hound me, save me, rescue me,

2 or, like a lion, he will carry me off

and tear me to pieces where no one can save me.

3 Yahweh my God, if I ever

soiled my hands with fraud,

4 repaid a friend evil for good,

spared a man who wronged me,

5 then let the enemy hound me down and catch me,

let him stamp my life into the ground,

and leave my entrails lying in the dust!

6 Rise, Yahweh, to anger,

awake, my God!

Confront the raging of my enemies,

you who demand that justice shall be done.

7 Let the nations muster around you in a body,

and then return, high over them.

8 (Yahweh is arbiter of nations.)

Give judgment for me, Yahweh: as my virtue

and my integrity deserve.

9 Bring the maliciousness of evil men to an end,

se the virtuous on his feet,

your righteous God,

assessor of mind and heart.

10 God is the shield that protects me,

he preserves upright hearts,

11 God the righteous judge

is slow to show anger,

but he is a God who always enraged

12 by those who refuse to repent.

The enemy may sharpen his sword,

he may bend his bow and take aim,

13 but the weapons he prepares will kill himself

and his arrows turn into firebrands.

14 Look at him, pregnant with wickedness,

conceiving Spite, he gives birth to Mishap.

15 He dug a pit, hollowed it out,

only to fall into his own trap!

16 His spite recoils on his own head,

his brutality falls back on his own skull.

17 I give thanks to Yahweh for his righteousness,

I sing praise to the name of the Most High.

For the choirmaster On the . . . Of Gath Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh our Lord,

how great your name throughout the earth!

Above the heavens is your majesty chanted

2 by the mouth of children, babes in arms.

You set your stronghold firm against your foes

to subdue enemies and rebels.

3 I look up at your heavens, made by your fingers,

at the moon and stars you set in place -

4 ah, what is man that you should spare a thought for him,

the son of man that you should care for him?

5 Yet you have made him little less than a god,

you have crowned him with glory and splendour,

6 made him lord over the work of your hands,

set all things under his foot,

7 sheep and oxen, all these,

yes, wild animals too,

8 birds in the air, fish in the sea

travelling the paths of the ocean.

9 Yahweh, our Lord,

how great your name throughout the earth!

For the choirmaster For oboe and harp Psalm Of David

1 I thank you Yahweh, with all my heart;

I recite your marvels one by one,

2 I rejoice and exult in you,

I sing praise to your name, Most High.

3 My enemies are in retreat,

stumbling, perishing as you confront them:

4 you have upheld the justice of my cause

from the throne where you sit as righteous judge.

5 You have checked the nations, you have crushed the wicked,

blotted out their name for ever and ever;

6 the enemy is finished, in everlasting ruin,

you have overthrown cities, their memory has perished.

7 See, Yahweh is enthroned for ever,

he sets up his throne for judgment;

8 he is going to judge the world with justice,

and pronounce a true verdict on the nations.

9 May Yahweh be a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold when times are hard.

10 Those who acknowledge your name can rely on you,

you never desert those who seek you, Yahweh.

11 To Yahweh with his home in Zion, sing praise,

tell the nations of his mighty actions;

12 he, the avenger of blood, remembers them,

he does not ignore the cry of the wretched.

13 Take pity on me, Yahweh, look on my suffering,

you who lift me back from the gates of death,

14 that in the gates of the daughter of Zion

I may recite your praises one by one, rejoicing that you have saved me.

15 The nations have sunk into a pit of their own making,

they are caught by the feet in the snare they set themselves.

16 Yahweh has made himself known, has given judgment,

he has trapped the wicked in the work of their own hands.

17 May the wicked return to Sheol,

all the nations forgetful of God.

18 For the needy is not always forgotten,

the hope of the poor is never brought to nothing.

19 Rise, Yahweh, let not man have the upper hand,

let the nations stand trial before you!

20 Strike terror into them, Yahweh,

let the nations know they are only men!

10- 1 Yahweh, why do you stand aside,

why hide from us now the times are hard?

2 The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked,

e is caught in the wiles that the other has devised.

3 The evil man boast of his soul's desires,

the grasping man blasphemes, the wicked spurns Yahweh.

4 "His anger is up there, he will not make me pay!

There is no God!" This is the way his mind works.

5 At every moment his course is assured,

your rulings are too lofty for his notice;

his rivals? He sneers at them all.

6 "Nothing can shake me," he assures himself.

7 Himself untouched by disaster, he curses others.

Fraud and oppression fill his mouth,

spite and iniquity are under his tongue;

8 there in the reeds he lies in ambush

to kill the innocent where no one can see.

Peering and prying for the out of luck,

9 lurking unseen like a lion in his hide,

lurking to capture the poor man,

the poor man seized, he drags him away in his net.

10 Questing of eye, he stoops, he crouches,

and the luckless wretch falls into his power

11 as he thinks to himself, "God forgets,

he hides his face, he does not see at all."

12 Rise, Yahweh, God raise your hand,

do not forget the poor!

13 Why does the wicked man spurn God,

assuring himself, "He will not make me pay?"

14 You yourself have seen the distress and the grief,

you watch and then take them into your hands;

the luckless man commits himself to you,

you, the orphan's certain help.

15 Break the power of the wicked, of the evil man,

seek out his wickedness till there is none to be found!

16 Yahweh is king for ever and ever,

the pagans are doomed to vanish from his country.

17 Yahweh you listen to the wants of the humble,

you bring strength to their hearts, you grant them a hearing,

18 judging in favour of the orphaned and exploited,

so that earthborn man may strike fear no longer.

For the choirmaster Of David

1 In Yahweh I take shelter.

How can you say to me,

"Bird, fly back to your mountain:

2 "see how the wicked are bending their bows

and fitting their arrows to the string,

ready to shoot the upright from their shadows.

3 When foundations fall to ruin, what can the virtuous do?"

4 Yahweh is in holy Temple,

Yahweh whose throne is in heaven;

his eyes look down at the world,

his searching gaze scans all mankind.

5 The virtuous and the wicked are under Yahweh's scrutiny,

and his soul hates anyone who loves brutality.

6 He rains coal of fire and brimstone on the wicked,

he serves them a scorching wind to swallow down.

7 Yahweh is righteous, he loves virtue,

upright men will contemplate his face.

For the choirmaster For the octachord Psalm Of David

1 Save us, Yahweh! There are no devout men left,

fidelity has vanished from mankind.

2 All they do is to lie to one another,

flattering lips, talk from a double heart.

3 May Yahweh slice off every flattering lip,

each tongue so glib with boasts,

4 those who say, "In our tongue lies our strength,

our lips have the advantage; who can master us?"

5 "For the plundered poor, for the needy who groan,

now will I act," says Yahweh.

"I will grant them the safety they sigh for."

6 The words of Yahweh are without alloy,

nature' silver coming from the earth seven times refined.

7 And you, Yahweh, hold us in your keeping,

against that breed protect us always.

8 The wicked prowl on every side,

baseness stands high among the sons of men.

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 How much longer will you forget me, Yahweh? For ever?

How much longer will you hide your face from me?

2 How much longer most I endure grief in my soul,

and arrow in my heart by day and by night?

How much longer must my enemy have the upper hand of me?

3 Look and answer me, Yahweh my God!

Give me eyes light, or I shall sleep in death,

4 and my enemy will say, "I have beaten him,"

And my oppressor have the joy of seeing me stumble.

5 But I for my part rely on your love, Yahweh;

let my heart rejoice in your saving help.

Let me sing to Yahweh for the goodness he has shown me.

For the choirmaster Of David

1 The fool says in his heart,

"There is no God!"

Their deeds are corrupt and vile,

there is not one good man left.

2 Yahweh is looking down from heaven

at the sons of men.

To see if a single one is wise,

if a single one is seeking God.

3 All have turn aside,

all alike are tainted;

there is not one good man left,

not a single one.

4 Are they so ignorant, all these evil men

who swallow my people

as though they were eating bread,

and never invoke Yahweh?

5 They will be struck with fear,

fear without reason,

since God takes the side of the virtuous:

6 deride as you may the poor man's hopes,

Yahweh is his shelter.

7 Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?

When Yahweh brings his people home,

what joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!

Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh, who has the right to enter your tent,

or to live on your holy mountain?

2 The man whose way of life is blameless,

who always does what is right,

who speaks the truth from his heart,

3 whose tongue is not used for slander,

Who does no wrong to his fellow,

casts no discredit on his neighbour,

4 looks with contempt on the reprobate,

but honours those who fear Yahweh;

Who stands by his pledge at any cost,

5 does not ask interest on loans,

and cannot be bribed to victimize the innocent.

- If a man does all this, nothing can ever shake him.

Miktam Of David

1 Look after me, God, I take shelter in you.

2 To Yahweh you say, "My Lord,

you are my fortune, nothing else but you."

3 yet to those pagan deities in the land,

"My princes, all my pleasure is in you."

4 Their idols teem, after these they run:

shall I pour their blood libations? - not I!

Take their names on my lips? - never!

5 Yahweh, my heritage, my cp,

you, and you only, hold my lot secure;

6 the measuring line marks out delightful places for me,

for me the heritage is superb indeed.

7 I bless Yahweh, who is my counsellor,

and in the night my inmost self instructs me;

8 I keep Yahweh before me always,

for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me.

9 So my heart exults, my very soul rejoices,

my body, too, will rest securely,

10 for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

nor allow the one you love to see the Pit;

11 you will reveal the path of life to me,

give me unbounded joy in your presence.

And at your right hand everlasting pleasures.

Prayer Of David

1 Yahweh, hear the plea of virtue,

listen to my appeal,

lend an ear to my prayer,

my lips free from dishonesty.

2 From your presence will my sentence come,

your eyes are fixed on what is right.

3 You probe my heart, examine me at night,

you test me yet find nothing, no murmuring from me:

4 my mouth has never sinned as most men's do.

No, I have treasured the words from your lips;

5 in the path prescribed walking deliberately

in your footsteps, so that my feet do not slip.

6 I invoke you, God, and you answer me;

turn your ear to me, hear what I say,

7 display your marvellous kindness, saviour of fugitives!

From those who revolt against you

8 guard me like the pupil of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the onslaughts of the wicked.

My enemies cluster around me, breathing hostility;

10 entrenched in their fat, their mouths utter

11 arrogant claims; now they are closing in,

they have eyes for nothing but to see me overthrown.

12 They look like a lion eager to tear to pieces,

like a young lion crouching in its hide.

13 Rise, Yahweh, subdue him face to face,

rescue my soul from the wicked with your sword,

14 with your hand, Yahweh, rescue me from men,

from the sort of men whose lot is here and now.

Cram their bellies from your stores,

give them all the sons that they could wish for,

let them have a surplus to leave their children!

15 For me the reward of virtue is to see your face,

and, on waking, to gaze my fill on your likeness.

For the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of Yahweh, who addressed the words of this song to Yahweh at the time when Yahweh delivered him from the power of his enemies and of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, Yahweh, my strength

(My saviour, you rescue me from violence).

2 Yahweh is my rock and my bastion,

my deliverer is my God.

I take shelter in him, my rock,

my shield, my horn of salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge.

From violence you rescue me.

3 He is to be praised; on Yahweh I call

and am saved from the enemies.

4 The waves of death encircled me,

the torrents of Belial burst on me;

5 the cords of Sheol girdled me,

the snares of death were before me.

6 In my distress I called to Yahweh

and to my God I cried;

from his Temple he heard my voice,

my cry came to his ears.

7 Then the earth quivered and quaked,

the foundations of the mountains trembled

(They quivered because he was angry);

8 from his nostrils a smoke ascended,

and from his mouth a fire that consumed

(Live embers were kindled at it).

9 He bent the heavens and came down,

a dark cloud under his feet;

10 he mounted a cherub and flew,

and soared on he wings of the wind.

11 Darkness he made a veil to surround him,

his tent a watery darkness, dense cloud;

12 before him a flash enkindled

hail and fiery embers.

13 Yahweh thundered from heaven,

the Most High made his voice heard;

14 he let his arrows fly and scattered them,

launched the lightnings and routed them.

15 The bed of the seas was revealed,

the foundations of the world wee laid bare,

at your muttered threat, Yahweh,

at the blast of your nostrils' breath.

16 He sends from on high and takes me,

he draws me from deep waters,

17 he delivers me from my powerful enemy,

from a foe too strong for me.

18 They assailed me on my day of disaster,

but Yahweh was my support;

19 he freed me, set me at large,

he rescued me, since he loves me.

20 Yahweh requites me as I act justly,

as my hands are pure so he repays me,

21 since I have kept the ways of Yahweh,

nor fallen away from my God.

22 His judgments are all before me,

his statutes I have not put from me;

23 I am blameless in his presence,

I keep sin at arm's length.

24 And Yahweh repays me as I act justly,

As my purity is in his sight.

25 Faithful you are with the faithful,

blameless with the blameless,

26 pure with the one who is pure,

but crafty with the devious,

27 you save a people that is humble

and humiliate eyes that are haughty.

28 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp,

my God lights up my darkness;

29 with you I storm the barbican,

with my God I leap the rampart.

30 This God, his way is blameless;

the word of Yahweh is without dross.

He it is who is the shield

of all who take shelter in him.

31 Who else is God but Yahweh,

who else a rock save our God?

32 This God who girds me with strength

and makes my way without blame,

33 who makes my feet like the hinds'

And holds me from falling on the heights,

34 who trains my hands for battle,

my arms to bend a bow of bronze.

35 You give me your saving shield

(Your right hand upholds me), with care you train me,

36 wide room you male for my steps under me,

my feet have never faltered.

37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them,

nor turn back till an end is made of them;

38 I strike them down, and they cannot rise,

they fall, they are under my feet.

39 You have girt me with strength for the fight,

bent down my assailants beneath me,

40 made my enemies turn their back to me;

and those who hate me I destroy.

41 They cry out, there is no one to save,

to Yahweh, but there is no reply;

42 I crush them fine as dust before the wind,

trample them like the mud of the streets.

43 You deliver me from a people in revolt,

you place me at the head of the nations,

a people I did not know are now my servants,

44 foreigners come wooing my favour,

no sooner do they hear than they obey me,

45 foreigners grow faint of heart,

they come trembling out of their fastnesses.

46 Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock!

Exalted be the God of my salvation,

47 the God who gives me vengeance,

48 who rescues me from my raging enemies.

You lift me high above those who attack me,

you deliver me from the man of violence.

49 For this I will praise you, Yahweh, among the heathen

and sing praise to your name.

50 His king he saves and saves again,

displays his love for his anointed,

for David and his heirs for ever.

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,

the vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork;

2 day discourses of it to day,

night to night hands on the knowledge.

3 No utterance at all, no speech,

no sound that anyone can hear;

4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their message to the ends of the world.

High above, he pitched a tent for the sun,

5 who come out of his pavilion like a bridegroom,

exulting like a hero to run the race.

6 He has his rising on the edge of heaven,

the end of his course is its furthest edge,

and nothing can escape his heat.

7 The Law of Yahweh is perfect,

new life for the soul;

the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy,

wisdom for the simple.

8 The precepts of Yahweh are upright,

joy for the heart;

the commandment of Yahweh is clear,

light for the eyes.

9 The fear of Yahweh is pure,

lasting for ever;

the judgments of Yahweh are true,

righteous, every one,

10 more desirable than gold,

even than the finest gold;

his words are sweeter than honey,

even than honey that drips from the comb.

11 Thus your servant is formed by them,

observance brings great reward.

12 But who can detect his own failings?

Wash out my hidden faults.

13 And from pride preserve your servant,

never let it dominate me.

So shall I be above reproach,

free from grave sin.

14 May the words of my mouth always find favour,

and the whispering of my heart,

in your presence, Yahweh,

my Rock, my redeemer!

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 May Yahweh answer you in time of trouble,

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

2 May he send you help from the sanctuary,

give you support from Zion,

3 remember all your oblations

and find your holocausts acceptable;

4 may he grant you your heart's desire,

and crown all your plans with success;

5 may we shout with joy for your victory,

and plant our banners in the name of our God!

May Yahweh grant all your petitions!

6 Now I know that Yahweh

saves his anointed,

and answers him from his holy heaven

with mighty victories from his own right hand.

7 Some boast of chariots, some of horses,

but we boast about the name of Yahweh out God;

8 theirs to crumble and fall,

but we shall stand, and stand firm!

9 Yahweh, save the king,

answer us when we call.

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh, the king rejoices in your power;

what great joy your saving help gives me!

2 You have granted him his heart's desire,

nor denied him what his lips entreated.

3 For you have met him with choicest blessings,

put a crown of pure god on his head;

4 he asked for life, and you gave it to him,

length of days for ever and ever.

5 Great his glory through your saving help,

you have loaded him with splendour and majesty;

6 yes, you confer on him everlasting blessings,

you gladden him with the joy of your presence.

7 Yes, the king puts his trust in Yahweh,

by grace of the Most High he reigns unshaken.

8 Your hand will unmask all your enemies,

your right hand all who hate you;

9 you will make them like blazing furnace,

the day that you appear,

Yahweh will engulf them in his anger,

and fire will devour them;

10 you will wipe their children from the earth,

their descendants from among the sons of men.

11 Plot though they do to harm you

and weave their plan as they may, they cannot win;

12 since you will make them turn tail,

by shooting your arrows in their faces.

13 Rise, Yahweh, in your power!

We will sing and play in honour of your strength.

For the choirmaster To the "Doe of the Dawn" Psalm Of David

1 My God, my God, why have you deserted me?

How far from saving me, the words I groan!

2 I call all day, my God, but you never answer,

all night long I call and cannot rest.

3 Yet, Holy One, you

who make your home in the praises of Israel,

4 in you our fathers put their trust,

they trusted and you rescued them;

5 they called to you for help and they were saved,

they never trusted you in vain.

6 Yet here am I, now more worn than man,

scorn of mankind, jest of the people,

7 all who see me jeer at me,

they toss their heads and sneer,

8 "He relied on Yahweh, let Yahweh save him!

If Yahweh is his friend, let him rescue him!"

9 Yet you drew me out of the womb,

you entrusted me to my mother's breasts;

10 placed on your lap from birth,

from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Do not stand aside: trouble is near,

I have no one to help me!

12 A herd of bulls surrounds me,

strong bulls of Bashan close in on me;

13 their jaws are agape for me,

like lions tearing and roaring.

14 I am like water draining away,

my bones are all disjointed,

my heart is like wax,

melting inside me;

15 my palate is drier than a potsherd

and my tongue is stuck to my jaw.

16 A pack of dogs surrounds me,

a gang of villains closes me in;

they tie me hand and foot

and leave me lying in the dust of death.

17 I can count every one of my bones,

and there they glare at me gloating;

18 they divide my garments among them

and cast lots for my clothes.

19 Do not stand aside, Yahweh.

O my strength, come quickly to my help;

20 rescue my soul from the sword,

my dear life from the paw of the dog,

21 save me from the lion's mouth,

my poor soul from the wild bulls' horns!

22 Then I shall proclaim your name to my brothers,

praise you in full assembly:

23 you who fear Yahweh, praise him!

Entire race of Jacob, glorify him!

Entire race of Israel, revere him!

24 For he has not despised

or disdained the poor man in his poverty,

has not hidden his face from him,

but has answered him when he called.

25 You are the theme of my praise in the Great Assembly,

I perform my vows in the presence of those who fear him.

26 The poor will receive as much as they want to eat.

Those who seek Yahweh will praise him.

Long life to their hearts!

27 The whole earth, from end to end, will remember and come

back to Yahweh;

all the families of the nations will bow down before him.

28 For Yahweh reigns, the ruler of nations!

29 Before him all the prosperous of the earth will bow down,

before him will bow all who go down to the dust.

30 And my soul will live for him, my children will serve him;

31 men will proclaim the Lord to generations still to come,

his righteousness to a people yet unborn. All this he has done.

Psalm Of David

1 Yahweh is my shepherd,

I lack nothing.

2 In the meadow of green grass he lets me lie.

To the waters of repose he leads me;

3 there he revives my soul.

He guides me by paths of virtue

for the sake of his name.

4 Though I pass through a gloomy valley,

I fear no harm;

beside me your rod and staff

are there, to hearten me.

5 You prepare a table before me

under the eyes of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil,

my cup brims over.

6 Ah, how goodness and kindness pursue me,

every day of my life;

my home, the house of Yahweh,

as long as I live!

Psalm Of David

1 To Yahweh belong earth and all it holds,

the world and all who live in it;

2 he himself founded it on the ocean,

based it firmly on the nether sea.

3 Who has the right to climb the mountain of Yahweh,

who the right to stand in his holy place?

4 He whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure,

whose soul does not pay homage to worthless things

and who never swears to a lie.

5 The blessing of Yahweh is his,

and vindication from God his saviour.

6 Such are the people who seek him,

who seek your presence, God of Jacob!

7 Gates, raise your arches,

rise, you ancient doors,

let the king of glory in!

8 Who is the king of glory?

Yahweh the strong, the valiant,

Yahweh valiant in battle!

9 Gates, raise your arches,

rise, you ancient doors,

let the king of glory in!

10 Who is the king of glory?

He is Yahweh Sabaoth,

King of glory, he!

Of David

1 To you, Yahweh, I lift up my soul,

2 O my God.

I rely on you, do not let me be shamed,

do not let my enemies gloat over me!

3 No, those who hope in you are never shamed,

shame awaits disappointed traitors.

4 Yahweh, make your ways known to me,

teach me your paths.

5 Set me in the way of your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I hope in you

because of your goodness, Yahweh.

6 Remember your kindness, Yahweh,

your love, that you showed long ago.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth;

but rather, with your love remember me.

8 Yahweh is so good, so upright,

he teaches the way to sinners;

9 in all that is right he guides the humble,

and instructs the poor in his way.

10 All Yahweh's paths are love and truth

for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

11 For the sake of your name, Yahweh,

forgive my guilt, for it is great.

12 Everyone who fears Yahweh

will be taught the course a man should choose;

13 his soul will live in prosperity,

his children have the land for their own.

14 The close secret of Yahweh belongs to them who fear him,

his covenant also, to bring them knowledge.

15 My eyes are always on Yahweh,

for he releases my feet from the net.

16 Turn to me, take pity on me,

alone and wretched as I am!

17 Relieve the distress of my heart,

free me from sufferings.

18 See my misery and pain,

forgive all my sins!

19 See how my enemies multiply,

and how violent their hatred has grown.

20 Watch over my soul, rescue me;

let me not be shames: I take shelter in you.

21 Let innocent and integrity be my protection,

since my hope is in you, Yahweh.

Redeem Israel, God,

from all his troubles.

Of David

1 Yahweh, he my judge!

I go my way in my innocence.

My trust in Yahweh never wavers.

2 Test me, Yahweh, and probe me,

put me to the trial, loins and heart;

3 for your love is before my eyes,

and I live my life in loyalty to you.

4 No sitting with wastrels for me,

no associating with hypocrites;

5 I hate the society of evil men,

I refuse to sit down with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence

and join the procession around your altar,

7 singing a hymn of thanksgiving,

proclaiming all your wonders.

8 I love the house where you live,

the place where your glory makes its home.

9 Do not let my soul share the fate of sinners,

or my life the doom of men of blood,

10 men with guilt on their hands,

whose right hands are heavy with bribes.

11 But I live my life in innocence,

redeem me, Yahweh, take pity on me;

12 my foot is set on the right path,

I bless you, Yahweh, at the Assemblies.

Of David

1 Yahweh is my light and my salvation,

whom need I fear?

Yahweh is the fortress of my life,

of whom should I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,

they, my opponents, my enemies,

re the ones who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army pitched camp against me,

my heart would not fear;

though war were waged against me,

my trust would still be firm.

4 One thing I ask of Yahweh,

one thing I seek:

to live in the house of Yahweh

all the days of my life,

to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh

and to consult him in his Temple.

5 For he shelters me under his awning

in times of trouble;

he hides me deep in his tent,

sets me high on a rock.

6 And now my head is held high

over the enemies who surround me,

in his tent I will offer

exultant sacrifice.

I will sing, I will play for Yahweh!

7 Yahweh, hear my voice as I cry!

Pity me! Answer me!

8 My heart has said of you,

"Seek his face."

9 Yahweh, I do seek your face;

do not hide your face from me.

Do not repulse your servant in anger;

you are my help.

Never leave me, never desert me,

God, my saviour!

10 If my father and mother desert me,

Yahweh will care for me still.

11 Yahweh teach me your way,

lead me in the path of integrity

because of my enemies;

12 do not abandon me to the will of my foes -

false witnesses have risen against me,

and breathe out violence.

13 This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh,

in the land of the living.

14 Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong, let your heart be bold,

put your hope in Yahweh.

Of David

1 I cry to you, Yahweh,

my Rock! Do not be deaf to me,

for if you are silent, I shall go

down to the Pit like the rest.

2 Hear my voice, raised in petition,

as I cry to you for help,

as I raise my hands, Yahweh,

toward your Holy of Holies.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,

away with the evil men

who talk of peace to their neighbours

while malice is in their hearts.

4 Repay them for heir actions, Yahweh,

for the evil they commit,

for their handiwork repay them,

let them have what they deserve!

5 How blind they are to the works of Yahweh,

to his own handiwork!

May he pull them down and not rebuilt them!

6 Blessed be Yahweh, for he hears

the sound of my petition!

7 Yahweh is my strength, my shield,

my heart puts its trust in him;

I have been help, my flesh has bloomed again,

I thank him with all my heart.

8 Yahweh is the strength of his people,

a saving fortress for his anointed.

9 Save your people! Bless your heritage!

Shepherd them; carry them for ever!

Psalm Of David

1 Pay tribute to Yahweh, you sons of God,

tribute to Yahweh of glory and power,

2 tribute to Yahweh of the glory of his name,

worship Yahweh in his sacred court.

3 The voice of Yahweh over the waters!

Yahweh over the multitudinous waters!

4 The voice of Yahweh in power!

The voice of Yahweh in splendour!

5 he voice of Yahweh shatters the cedars,

Yahweh shatters the cedars of Lebanon,

6 making Lebanon leap like a calf,

Sirion like a young wild bull.

7 The voice of Yahweh sharpens lightning shafts!

8 The voice of Yahweh sets the wilderness shaking,

Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of Yahweh sets the terebinths shuddering,

stripping the forest bare.

The God of glory thunders,

In his palace everything cries, "Glory!"

10 Yahweh sat enthroned for the Flood,

Yahweh sits enthroned as a king for ever.

11 Yahweh gives strength to his people,

Yahweh blesses his people wit peace.

Psalm Canticle for the Dedication of the House Of David

1 High praise, Yahweh, I give you, for you have helped me up,

and not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 Yahweh, my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

3 Yahweh, you have brought my soul up from Sheol,

of all those who go down to the Pit you have revived me.

4 Play music in Yahweh's honour, you devout,

remember his holiness, and praise him.

5 His anger last a moment, his favour a lifetime;

in the evening, a spell of tears, in the morning, shouts of joy.

6 In my prosperity, I used to say,

"Nothing can ever shake me!"

7 Your favour, Yahweh, stood me on a peak impregnable;

but then you hid your face and I was terrified.

8 Yahweh, I call to you,

I beg my God to pity me,

9 "What do you gain by my blood if I go down to the Pit?

Can the dust praise your faithfulness?

10 "Hear, Yahweh, take pity on me;

Yahweh, help me!"

11 You have turn my mourning into dancing,

you have stripped off my sackcloth and wrapped me in gladness;

12 and now my heart, silent no longer, will play you music;

Yahweh, my God, I will praise you for ever.

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 In you, Yahweh, I take shelter;

never let me be disgraced.

In your righteousness deliver me, rescue me,

turn your ear to me, make haste!

2 Be a sheltering rock for me,

a walled fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock, my fortress;

for the sake of your name, guide me, lead me!

4 Pull me out of the net they have spread for me,

for you are my refuge;

5 into your hands I commit my spirit,

you have redeemed me, Yahweh.

6 God of truth, you hate

those who serve worthless idols;

but I put my trust in Yahweh:

7 I will exult, and rejoice in your love!

You, who have seen my wretchedness,

and known the miseries of my soul,

8 have not handed me over to the enemy,

you have given my feet space and to spare.

9 Take pity on me, Yahweh,

I am trouble now.

Grief wastes away my eye,

my throat, my inmost parts.

10 For my life is worn out with sorrow,

my years with sighs;

my strength yields under misery,

my bones are wasting away.

11 To every one of my oppressors

I am contemptible, loathsome to my neighbours,

to my friends a thing of fear.

Those who see me in the street

hurry past me;

12 I am forgotten, as good as dead in their hearts,

something discarded.

13 I hear their endless slanders,

threats from every quarter,

as they combine against me,

plotting to take my life.

14 But I put my trust in You, Yahweh,

I say, "You are my God."

15 My days are in your hand, rescue me

from the hands of my enemies and persecutors;

16 let your face smile on your servant,

save me in your love.

17 I invoke you, Yahweh; do not let me be disgraced,

let the disgrace fall on the wicked!

May they go speechless to Sheol,

18 their lying lips struck dumb

for those insolent slurs on the virtuous,

for that arrogance and contempt.

19 Yahweh, how great your goodness,

reserved for those who take shelter in you,

bestowed on those who take shelter in you,

for all mankind to see!

20 Safe in your presence you hide them

far from the wiles of men;

inside your tent you shelter them

far from war of tongues.

21 Blessed be Yahweh, who performs

marvels of love for me

(In a fortress-city)!

22 In my alarm I exclaimed,

"I have been snatched out of your sight!"

Yet you heard my petition

when I called to you for help.

23 Love Yahweh, all you devout:

Yahweh, protector of the faithful,

will repay the arrogant

with interest.

24 Be strong, let your heart be bold,

all you who hope in Yahweh!

Of David Poem

1 Happy the man whose fault is forgiven,

whose sin is blotted out;

2 happy the man whom Yahweh

accuse of no guilt,

whose spirit is incapable of deceit!

3 All the time I kept silent, my bones were wasting away

with groans, day in, day out:

4 day and night your hand

lay heavy on me;

my heart grew parched as stubble

in summer drought.

5 At last I admitted to you I had sinned;

no longer concealing my guilt,

I said, "I will go to Yahweh

and confess my fault."

And you, you have forgiven the wrong I did,

have pardoned my sin.

6 That is why each of your servants prays to you

in time of trouble;

even if floods come rushing down,

they will never reach him.

7 You are a hiding place for me,

you guard me when in trouble,

you surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you, and teach you the way to go;

I will watch over you and be your adviser.

9 Do not be like senseless horse or mule

that need bit and bridle to curb their spirit

(To let you get near them).

10 Many torments await the wicked,

but grace enfolds the man who trust in Yahweh.

11 Rejoice in Yahweh,

exult, you virtuous,

shout for joy, all upright hearts.

1 Shout for joy to Yahweh, all virtuous men,

praise comes well from upright hearts;

2 give thanks to Yahweh on the lyre,

play to him on the ten-string harp;

3 sing a new song in his honour,

play with all your skill as you acclaim him!

4 The word of Yahweh is integrity itself,

all he does is done faithfully;

5 he loves virtue and justice,

Yahweh's love fills the earth.

6 By the word of Yahweh the heavens were made,

their whole array by the breath of his mouth;

7 he collects the ocean waters as though in a wineskin,

he stores the deeps in cellars.

8 Let the whole world fear Yahweh,

let all who live on earth revere him!

9 He spoke, and it was created;

he commanded, and there it stood.

10 Yahweh thwarts the plans of nations,

frustrates the intentions of peoples;

11 but Yahweh's plans hold for ever,

the intentions of his heart from age to age.

12 Happy the nation whose God is Yahweh,

the people he has chosen for his heritage.

13 Yahweh looks down from heaven,

he sees the whole human race;

14 from where he sits he watches

all who live on the earth,

15 he who moulds every heart

and takes note of all men do.

16 A large army will not keep a king safe,

nor does the hero escape by his great strength;

17 it is delusion to rely on the horse for safety,

for all its power, it cannot save.

18 But see how the eye of Yahweh is on those who fear him,

on those who rely on his love,

19 to rescue their souls from death

and keep them in famine.

20 Our soul awaits Yahweh,

he is our help and shield;

21 our hearts rejoice in him,

we trust in his holy name.

22 Yahweh, let your love rest on us

as our hope has rested in you.

Of David. When after pretending to be mad in front of Abimelech, he was dismissed by him and made his escape

1 I will bless Yahweh at all times,

his praise shall be on my lips continually;

2 my soul glories in Yahweh,

let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh,

together let us extol his name.

4 I seek Yahweh, and he answers me

and frees me from all my fears.

5 Every face turned to him grows brighter

and is never ashamed.

6 A cry goes up from the poor man, and Yahweh hears,

and helps him in all his troubles.

7 The angel of Yahweh pitches camp

around those who fear him; and keeps them safe.

8 How good Yahweh is - only taste and see!

Happy the man who takes shelter in him.

9 Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones:

those who fear him want for nothing.

10 The young lion may go empty and hungry,

but those who seek Yahweh lack nothing good.

11 Come, my sons listen to me,

I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.

12 Which of you wants to live to the full,

who loves long life and enjoyment of prosperity?

13 Malice must be banished from your tongue,

deceitful conversation from your lips;

14 never yield to evil, practice good,

seek peace, pursue it.

15 The face of Yahweh frowns on evil men,

to wipe their memory from the earth;

16 the eyes of Yahweh are turned toward the virtuous,

his ears to their cry.

17 They cry for help and Yahweh hears

and rescue them from all their troubles;

18 Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted,

he helps those whose spirit is crushed.

19 Hardships in plenty beset the virtuous man,

but Yahweh rescues him from them all;

20 taking care of every bone,

Yahweh will not let one be broken.

21 Evil will bring death to the wicked,

those who hate the virtuous will have to pay;

22 while Yahweh himself ransoms the souls of his servants,

and those who take shelter in him have nothing to pay.

Of David

1 Accuse my accusers, Yahweh,

attack my attackers;

2 grip, shield and buckler,

up, and help me;

3 brandish lance and spike

in the faces of my pursuers.

Tell my soul, "I am your salvation."

4 Shame and dishonour on those

who are out to kill me!

Back with them! Cover with confusion

those who plot my downfall!

5 May they be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of Yahweh to chase them!

6 May their way be dark and slippery,

with the angel of Yahweh to hound them!

7 Unprovoked they spread their net for me,

they dug a pit for me;

8 but Ruin creeps on them unawares,

the net they have spread will catch them instead,

and into their own pit will they fall.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in Yahweh,

exult that he has saved me.

10 All my bones will exclaim, "Yahweh,

who can compare with you

in rescuing the poor from the stronger,

the needy from the man who exploits him?"

11 Lying witness take the stand,

questioning me on things I know nothing about;

12 they repay my kindness with evil,

there is desolation in my soul.

13 Yet, when they were sick, I put sackcloth on,

I humbled my soul with fasting,

murmuring prayers to my own breast

14 as tough for a friend or a brother;

and, like a person mourning his mother,

went about dejected and sorrowing.

15 Now I have fallen, they crowd around delighted,

flocking to jeer at me;

strangers I never even knew

with loud cries tear me to pieces,

16 ridding me with gibe after gibe,

grinding their teeth at me.

17 How much longer, Lord, will you look on?

Rescue my soul from their onslaughts,

my dear life from these lions.

18 I will give thanks in the Great Assembly,

praise you where the people throng.

19 Do not let my lying enemies

gloat over me,

do not let those who hate me for no reason

exchange sly glances.

20 Peace is not what they discuss

with the peace-loving people of the land;

they think out false accusations,

21 their mouths wide to accuse me,

"Aha! Aha!" They say,

"With our own eyes we saw it!"

22 Now break you silence, Yahweh, you were looking too,

Lord, do not stand aside,

23 up, wake up, come to my defence,

Lord my God side with me!

24 Yahweh my God, you are righteous, so give verdict for me,

and do not let them gloat over me.

25 Do not let them think, "Just as we hoped!"

Do not let them say, "Now we have got him down!"

26 Shame and dishonour on all

who gloat over my misfortune;

shame and discredit cover all

who profit at my expense!

27 But shouts of joy and gladness for all

who take pleasure in my virtue;

give them constant cause to say,

who likes to see his servant at peace!.

28 Then my tongue will shout your goodness,

and sing your praises all day long.

For the choirmaster Of the servant of Yahweh, David

1 The wicked man's oracle is Sin

in the depths of his heart;

there is no fear of God

before his eyes.

2 He sees himself with too flattering an eye

to detect and detest his gilt;

3 all he says tends to mischief and deceit,

he has turn his back on wisdom.

4 How best to work mischief he plots,

even when he is in ed;

he persists in his evil course,

he never rejects what is bad.

5 Your lave, Yahweh, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds;

6 your righteousness is like the mountains of God,

your judgments like the mighty deep.

7 Yahweh, protector of man and beast,

how precious, God, your love!

Hence the sons of men

take shelter in the shadow of your wingd.

8 They feast on the bounty of your house,

you give them drink from your river of pleasure;

9 yes, with you is the fountain of life,

by your light we see the light.

10 Do not stop loving those who know you,

or being righteous to upright hearts.

11 Do not let arrogant feet crush me

or wicked hands expel me.

12 The evil men have fallen, there they lie,

beaten down, never to stand again!

Of David

1 Do not worry about the wicked,

do not envy those who do wrong.

2 Quick as the grass they wither,

fading like the green i the field.

3 Trust Yahweh and do what is good,

make your home in the land and live in peace;

4 make Yahweh your only joy

and he will give you what your heart desires.

5 Commit you fate to Yahweh,

trust in him and he will act:

6 making your virtue clear as the light,

your integrity as bright as noon.

7 Be quiet before Yahweh, and wait patiently for him,

not worrying about men who make their fortunes,

about men who scheme

to bring the poor and needy down.

8 Enough of anger, leave rage aside,

do not worry, nothing but evil can come of it;

9 for the wicked will be expelled,

while those who hope in Yahweh shall have the land for their own.

10 A little longer, and the wicked will be no more,

search his place well, he will not be there;

11 but the humble shall have the land for their own

to enjoy untroubled peace.

12 The wicked man plots against the virtuous,

and grinds his teeth at him;

13 but the Lord only laughs at the man,

knowing his end is in sight.

14 Though the wicked draw the sword,

and bend their bow, to kill the upright,

15 their swords will only pierce their own hearts

and their bows will be smashed.

16 The little the virtuous possesses

outweighs all the wealth of the wicked,

17 since the arms of the wicked are doomed to break,

and Yahweh will uphold the virtuous.

18 Yahweh takes care of good men's lives,

and their heritage will lest for ever;

19 they will not be at a loss when bad times come,

in time of famine they will have more than they need.

20 As for the wicked - they will perish,

these enemies of Yahweh;

they will vanish like the beauty of the meadows,

they will vanish in smoke.

21 The wicked man borrows without meaning to repay,

but the virtuous man is generous and openhanded;

22 those he blesses will have the land for their own,

those he curses will be expelled.

23 Yahweh guides a man's steps,

they are sure, and he takes pleasure in his progress;

24 he may fall, but never fatally,

since Yahweh supports him by the hand.

25 Now I am old, but ever since my youth

I never saw a virtuous man deserted,

or his descendants forced to beg their bread;

26 he is always compassionate, always lending:

his children will be blessed.

27 Never yield to evil, practice good

and you will have an everlasting home,

28 for Yahweh loves what is right,

and never deserts the devout.

Those who do wrong will perish once and for al,

and the children of the wicked shall be expelled;

29 the virtuous will have the land for their own,

and make it their home for ever.

30 The mouth of the virtuous man murmurs wisdom,

and his tongue speaks what is right;

31 with the Law of his God in his heart

his steps can never falter.

32 The wicked man spies on the virtuous,

seeking to kill him;

33 Yahweh will never leave him in those clutches,

or let him be condemned under trial.

34 Put your hope in Yahweh, keep his way,

and he will save you from the wicked,

raising you until you make the land your own

and see the wicked expelled.

35 I have seen the wicked in his triumph

towering like a cedar of Lebanon,

36 but when next I passed, he was not there,

I looked for him and he was nowhere to be found.

37 Observe the innocent man, consider the upright:

for the man of peace there are descendants,

38 but sinners shall be destroyed altogether,

the descendants of the wicked shall be wiped out.

39 The salvation of the virtuous comes from Yahweh,

he is their shelter when trouble comes;

40 Yahweh helps and rescues them,

he saves them because they take shelter in him.

Psalm Of David In commemoration

1 Yahweh, do not punish me in your rage,

or reprove me in the heat of your anger.

2 Your arrows have pierce deep,

your hand has pressed down on me;

3 no soundness in my flesh now you are angry,

ne health in my bones, because of my sin.

4 My guilt is overwhelming me,

it is too heavy a burden;

5 my wounds stink and are festering,

the result of my folly;

6 bowed down, bent double, overcome,

I go mourning all day.

7 My loins are burned up with fever,

there is no soundness in my flesh:

8 numbed and crushed and overcome,

my heart groans, I moan aloud.

9 Lord, all that I long for is known to you,

my sighing is no secret from you;

10 my heart is throbbing, my strength deserting me.

11 My friends and my companions shrink from my wounds,

even the dearest of them keep their distance;

12 men intent on killing me lay snares,

other hoping to hurt me, threaten my ruin,

hatching treacherous plots all day.

13 But I am like the deaf, I do not hear,

like the dumb man who does not open his mouth;

14 I am like the man who, hearing nothing,

gives no sharp answer in return.

15 For I put my trust in you, Yahweh,

and leave you to answer for me, Lord my God.

16 I have already said, "Stop them gloating over me,

do not let them take advantage of me if my foot should slip."

17 And now my fall is upon me,

there is no relief from my pains;

18 yes, I admit my guilt,

I am sorry for having sinned.

19 There are more and more to hurt me for no reason,

There are more to hate me unprovoked,

20 repaying my kindness with evil,

arraigning me for trying to do right.

21 Yahweh, do not desert me,

do not stand aside, my God!

22 Come quickly to my help,

Lord, my saviour!

For the choirmaster For Jeduthun Psalm Of David

1 I said, "I will watch how I behave,

and not let my tongue lead me to sin;

I will keep a muzzle on my mouth

as long as the wicked man is near me."

2 I stayed dumb, silent speechless,

though the sight of him thriving made torment increase.

3 My heart had been smoldering inside me,

but it flared up at the thought of this

and the words burst out,

4 "Tell me, Yahweh, when my end will be,

how many days are allowed me,

show me how frail I am.

5 "Look, you have given me an inch or two of life,

my life-span is nothing to you;

each man that stands on earth is only a puff of wind,

6 every man that walks, only a shadow,

and the wealth he amasses is only a puff of wind -

he does not know who will take it next."

7 So tell me, Lord, what can I expect?

My hope is in you.

8 Free me from all sins,

do not make me the butt of idiots.

9 I am dumb, I speak no more,

since you yourself have been at work.

10 Lay your scourge aside,

I am worn out with the blows you deal me.

11 You punish man with the penalties of sin,

like a moth you eat all that gives him pleasure -

man is indeed only a puff of wind!

12 Yahweh, hear my prayer,

listen to my cry for help,

do not stay deaf to my crying.

I am your guest, and only for a time,

a nomad like all my ancestors.

13 Look away, let me draw breath,

before I go away and am no more!

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 I waited and waited for Yahweh,

now at last he has stooped to me

and heard my cry for help.

2 He has pulled me out of the horrible pit,

out of the slough of the marsh,

has settled my feet on a rock

and steadied my steps.

3 H has put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God;

dread will seize many at my sight,

and they will put their trust in Yahweh.

4 Happy the man who puts

his trust in Yahweh,

and does not side with rebels

who stray after false gods.

5 How many wonders you have done for us,

Yahweh, my God!

How many plans you have made for us;

you have no equal!

I want to proclaim them, again and again,

but they are more than I can count.

6 You, who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,

opened my ear

you asked no holocaust or sacrifice for sin;

7 then I said, "Here I am! I am coming!"

In the scroll of the book am I not commanded

8 to obey your will?

My God, I have always loved your Law

from the depths of my being.

9 I have always proclaimed the righteousness of Yahweh

in the Great Assembly;

nor do I mean to stop proclaiming,

as you know well.

10 I have never kept your righteousness to myself,

but have spoken of your faithfulness and saving help;

I have made no secret of your love and faithfulness

in the Great Assembly.

11 For your part, Yahweh, do not withhold

your kindness from me!

May your love and faithfulness

constantly preserve me.

12 More misfortunes beset me

than I can count,

my sins close in on me

until I can hardly see,

they outnumber the hairs on my head;

my courage is running out.

13 Oh come and rescue me, Yahweh,

Yahweh come quickly and help me!

14 Shame and dishonour on all

who are out to kill, to destroy me!

Down with them! Disgrace on those

who enjoy my misfortune!

15 May they be aghast with shame,

those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"

16 But joy and gladness

for all who seek you!

To all who love your saving power

give constant cause to say, "God is great!"

17 To me, poor wretch,

come quickly, Lord!

My helper, my saviour, my God,

come and do not delay!

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 Happy the ma who cares for the poor and the weak:

if disaster strikes Yahweh will come to his help.

2 Yahweh will guard him, give him life and happiness in the land;

ah, do not let his enemies treat him as they please!

3 Yahweh will be his comfort on his bed of sickness;

most carefully you make his bed when he is sick.

4 I for my part said, "Yahweh, take pity on me!

Cure me, for I have sinned against you."

5 My enemies say of me with malice,

"How long before he dies and his name perishes?"

6 They visit me, their hearts full of spite,

they offer hollow comfort, and go out to spread the news.

7 All who hate me whisper to each other about me,

reckoning I deserve the misery I suffer,

8 "This sickness is fatal that has overtaken him,

he is down at last, he will never get up again."

9 Even my closest and most trusted friend,

who shared my table, rebels against me.

10 But Yahweh, take pity on me!

Raise me up, and I will pay them back;

11 and by this I shall know that I enjoy your favour,

if my enemy falls to triumph over me;

12 and I, whom you uphold, go unscathed,

set by you in your presence for ever.

13 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,

from all eternity and for ever!

Amen. Amen!

For the choirmaster Poem Of the sons of Korah

1 As a doe longs

for running streams,

so longs my soul

for you, my God.

2 My soul thirsts for God,

the God of life;

when shall I go to see

the face of God?

3 I have no food but tears,

day and night;

and all day long men say to me,

"Where is your God?"

4 I remember, and my soul

melts within me:

I am on my way to the wonderful Tent,

to the house of God,

among cries of joy and praise

and an exultant throng.

5 Why so downcast, my soul,

why do you sigh within me?

Put your hope in God: I shall praise him yet,

6 my saviour, my God.

When my soul is downcast within me,

I think of you;

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,

of you, humble mountain!

7 Deep is calling to deep

as your cataracts roar;

all your waves, your breakers,

have rolled over me.

8 In the daytime may Yahweh

command his love to come,

and by night may his song be on my lips,

a prayer to the God of my life!

9 Let me say to God my Rock,

"Why do you forget me?

Why must I walk

so mournfully, oppressed by the enemy?"

10 Nearly braking my bones

my oppressors insult me,

as all day long they ash me,

"Where is your God?"

1 Why so downcast, my soul,

why do you sigh within me?

Put your hope in God: I shall praise him yet,

my saviour, my God.

43- 1 Defend me, take up my cause

against people who have no pity;

from the treacherous and cunning man

rescue me, God.

2 It is you God, who are my shelter:

why do you abandon me?

Why must I walk

so mournfully, oppressed by the enemy?

3 Send out your light and your truth,

let these be my guide,

to lead me to your holy mountain

and to the place where you live.

4 Then I shall go to the altar of God,

to the God of my joy,

I shall rejoice, I shall praise you on the harp,

Yahweh, my God.

5 Why so downcast, my soul,

why do you sigh within me?

Put your hope i God: I shall praise him yet,

my saviour, my God.

For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm

1 God, we have heard with our own ears,

our ancestors have told us

of the deeds you performed in their days,

2 in days long ago, by your hand.

To put them in the land you dispossessed the nations,

you harried the peoples to make room for them;

3 it was not by their swords they won the land,

it was not by their arms they gained the victory:

it was your right hand, your arm

and the light of your face - because you loved them.

4 You it was, my King, my God,

who won those victories for Jacob;

5 through you we trampled down our enemies

through your name we subdued our aggressors.

6 My trust was not in my bow,

my sword did not gain me victory:

7 we conquered our enemies through you,

you, who defeated all who hated us -

8 our boast was always of God,

we praised your name without ceasing.

9 Yet now you abandon and scorn us,

you no longer march with our armies,

10 you allow the enemy to push us back,

and let those who hate us raid us when it suits them.

11 You let us go to the slaughterhouse like sheep,

you scatter us among the nations;

12 you sell your people for next to nothing,

and make no profit from the bargain.

13 Thanks to you, our neighbours insult us,

all those around us make us their butt and laughingstock;

14 you make us byword to pagans,

a thing to make them toss their heathen heads.

15 All day long I brood on this disgrace,

my face covered in shame,

16 under a shower of insult and blasphemy,

a display of hatred and revenge.

17 All this happened to us though we had not forgotten you,

though we had not been disloyal to your covenant;

18 though our hearts had not turned away,

though our steps had not left your path:

19 yet you crushed us in the place where the jackals live,

and threw the shadow of death over us.

20 Had we forgotten the name of our God

and stretched out our hands to a foreign one,

21 would not God have found this out,

he who knows the secrets of the heart?

22 No, it is for your sake we are being massacred daily,

and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Wake up, Lord! Why are you asleep?

Awake! Do not abandon us for good.

24 Why do you hide your face,

and forget we are wretched and exploited?

25 For we are bowed in the dust,

our bodies crushed to the ground.

26 Rise! Come to our help!

Redeem us for the sake of your love.

For the choirmaster Tune: "Lilies . . ." Of the sons of Korah Poem Lave song

1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme:

I address my poem to the king;

my tongue as ready as the pen of a busy scribe.

2 Of all men you are the most handsome,

your lips are moist with grace,

for God has blessed you for ever.

3 Hero, strap your sword at your side,

4 in majesty and splendour; on, ride on,

in te cause of truth, religion and virtue!

Stretch the bowstring tight,

lending terror to your right hand.

5 Your arrows are sharp; nations lie at your mercy,

the king's enemies are losing heart.

6 Your throne, God, shall last for ever and ever,

your royal sceptre is a sceptre of integrity:

7 virtue you love as much as you hate wickedness.

This is why God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness, above all your rivals;

8 myrrh and aloes waft from your robes.

From palaces of ivory harps entertain you,

9 daughters of kings are among your maids of honour;

on your right stands the queen, in gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, daughter, pay careful attention:

forget your nation and your ancestral home,

11 then the king will fall in love with your beauty.

He is your master now, bow down to him.

12 The daughter of Tyre will solicit your favour with gifts,

13 the wealthiest nations, with jewels set in gold.

14 Dressed in brocades, the king's daughter

is led in to the king, with bridesmaids in her train.

Her ladies-in-waiting follow

15 and enter the king's palace to general rejoicing.

16 Your ancestors will be replaced by sons

whom you will make lords of the whole world.

17 I shall immortalize your name,

nations will sing your praises for ever and ever.

For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah For oboe Song

1 God is our shelter, our strength,

ever ready to help in time of trouble,

2 so we shall not be afraid when the earth gives way,

when mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,

3 and its waters roar tottering as it heaves.

(Yahweh Sabaoth is on our side,

our citadel, the God of Jacob!)

4 There is a river whose streams refresh the city of God,

and it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High.

5 God is inside the city, she can never fall,

at crack of dawn God helps her;

6 to the roaring of nations and tottering of kingdoms,

when he shouts, the world disintegrates.

7 Yahweh Sabaoth is on our side,

our citadel, the God of Jacob!

8 Come, think of Yahweh's marvels,

the astonishing things he has done in the world;

9 all over the world he puts an end to wars,

he breaks the bow, he snaps the spear,

he gives shields to the flames.

10 "Pause a while and know that I am God,

exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth!"

11 Yahweh Sabaoth is on our side,

our citadel, the God of Jacob!

For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm

1 Clap your hands, all you peoples,

acclaim with shouts of joy;

2 for Yahweh, the Most High, is to be dreaded,

the Great King of the whole world.

3 He brings the peoples under our dominion,

he puts the nations under our feet;

4 for us he chooses our heritage -

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

5 God rises to shouts of acclamation,

Yahweh rises to a blast of trumpets,

6 let the music sound for our God, let it sound,

let the music sound for our King, let it sound!

7 God is king of the whole world:

play your best in his honour!

8 God his king of the nations,

he reigns on his holy throne.

9 The leaders of the nations rally

to the people of the God of Abraham.

Every shield in the world belongs to God.

He reigns supreme.

Song Psalm Of the sons of Korah

1 Yahweh is great and supremely to be praised

in the city of our God,

2 the holy mountain, beautiful where it rises,

joy of the whole world;

Mount of Zion, deep heart of the North,

city of the Great King;

3 here among her palaces,

God proved to be her fortress.

4 There was a rallying, once, of kings,

advancing together along the common front;

5 they looked, they were amazed,

they panicked, they ran!

6 There they shuddered and writhed

like women in labour,

7 it was the east wind, that wrecker

of ships of Tarshish!

8 What we had heard we saw for ourselves

in the city of our God,

the city of Yahweh Sabaoth,

God-protected for ever.

9 God, in your Temple

we reflect on your love:

10 God, your praise, like your name,

reaches to the ends of the world.

Your right hand holds the victory;

Mount Zion rejoices,

11 the daughters of Judah exult

to have your rulings.

12 Go through Zion, walk around her,

counting her towers,

13 admiring her walls,

reviewing her palaces;

Then tell the next generation

that God is here,

14 our God and leader,

for ever and ever.

For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm

1 Hear this, all nations,

pay attention all who live on earth,

2 important people, ordinary people,

rich and poor alike!

3 My lips have wisdom to utter,

my heart whisper sound sense;

4 I turn my attention to a proverb,

and set my solution to the harp.

5 Why should I e afraid in evil times,

when malice dogs my steps and hem me in,

6 of men who trust i their wealth

and boast of the profusion of their riches?

7 But man could never redeem himself

or pay his ransom to God:

8 it costs so much to redeem his life,

9 it is beyond him; how then could he live on for ever

and never see the Pit -

10 When all the time he sees that wise men die;

that foolish and stupid perish both alike,

and leave their fortunes to others.

11 Their tombs are their eternal home,

their lasting residence,

though they own estates that bore their names.

12 Man when he prospers forfeits intelligence;

he is one with the cattle doomed to slaughter.

13 So on they go with their self-assurance,

with men to run after them when they raise their voice

14 Like sheep to be penned in Sheol,

Death will herd them to pasture

and the upright will have the better of them.

Dawn will come and then the show they made will disappear,

Sheol the home for them!

15 But God will redeem my life

from the grasp of Sheol, and will receive me.

16 Do not be afraid when a man grows rich,

when the glory of his House increases;

17 when he dies he can take nothing with him,

his glory cannot follow him down.

18 The soul he made so happy while he lived

- "look after yourself and men will praise you" -

19 will join the company of his ancestors

who will never see the light of day again.

20 Man in his prosperity forfeits intelligence:

he is one with the cattle doomed to slaughter.

Psalm Of Asaph

1 Yahweh, God of Gods,

speaks, he summons the earth.

From east to west,

2 from Zion, perfection of beauty, he shines.

3 Let our God came, and be silent no more!

Preceding him, a devouring fire,

around him, a raging storm;

4 he summons the heavens above

and the earth, to his people's trial:

5 "Assemble my faithful before me

who sealed my covenant by sacrifice!"

6 Let the heavens proclaim his righteousness

when God himself is judge!

7 "Listen, my people, I am speaking;

Israel, I am giving evidence against you!

I charge, I indict you to your face,

I, God, your God.

8 "I am not finding fault with your sacrifices,

those holocausts constantly before me;

9 I do not claim one extra bull from your homes,

nor an extra goat from your pens,

10"since all the forest animals are already mine,

and the cattle on my mountains in their thousands;

11 I know all the birds of the air,

nothing moves in the field that does not belong to me.

12 "If I were hungry, I should not tell you,

since the world and all it holds is mine.

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink goats' blood?

14 "NO, let thanksgiving be your sacrifice to God,

fulfill the vows you make to the Most High;

15 then you can invoke me in your troubles

and I will rescue you, and you shall honour me."

16 But to the wicked man God says:

"What business have you reciting my statutes,

standing there mouthing my covenant,

17 since you detest my discipline

and thrust my words behind you?

18 "You make friends with a thief as soon as you see one,

you feel at home with adulterers,

19 your mouth is given freely to evil

and your tongue to inventing lies.

20 "You sit there, slandering your own brother,

you malign your own mother's son.

21 You do this, and expect me to say nothing?

Do you really think I am like you?

22 "You are leaving God out of account; take care!

Or I will ter you to pieces where no one can rescue you!

23 Whoever makes thanksgiving his sacrifice honours me;

to the upright man I will show how God can save."

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David When the prophet Nathan came to him because he had been with Bathsheba

1 Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness,

in your great tenderness wipe away my faults;

2 wash me clean of my guilt,

purify me from my sin.

3 For I am well aware of my faults,

I have my sin constantly in mind,

4 having sinned against none other than you,

having done what you regard as wrong.

You are just when you pass sentence on me,

blameless when you give judgment.

5 You know I was born guilty,

a sinner from the moment of conception.

6 Yet, since you love sincerity of heart,

teach me the secrets of wisdom.

7 Purify me with hyssop until I am clean;

wash me until I am whiter than snow.

8 Instill some joy and gladness into me,

let the bones you have crushed rejoice again.

9 Hide your face from my sins,

wipe out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart in me,

put into me a new and constant spirit,

11 do not banish me from your presence,

do not deprive me of your holy spirit.

12 Be my saviour again, renew my joy,

keep my spirit steady and willing;

13 and I shall teach transgressors the way to you,

and to you the sinners will return.

14 Save me from death, God my saviour,

and my tongue will acclaim your righteousness;

15 Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will speak out your praise.

16 Sacrifice gives you no pleasure,

were I to offer holocaust, you would not have it.

17 My sacrifice is this broken spirit,

you will not scorn this crushed and broken heart.

18 Show your favour graciously to Zion,

rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be proper sacrifice to please you

- holocaust and whole oblation -

and young bulls to be offered on your altar.

For the choirmaster Poem Of David When Doeg the Edomite went and warned Saul, "David has gone to Ahimelech's house"

1 Why make a boast of your wickedness,

you champion in villainy,

2 all day plotting destruction?

Your tongue is razor sharp,

you artist in perfidy!

3 You prefer evil to good,

lying to honest speech;

4 you love the destructive word,

perfidious tongue!

5 That is why God will crush you,

snatch you away for good,

tear you out of your tent,

uproot you from the land of the living.

6 Dread will seize the virtuous at the sight,

they will laugh at his fate:

7 "So much for the man who refused

to make God his fortress,

but rely on his own great wealth

and drew his strength from crime!"

8 I, for my part, like an olive tree

growing in the house of God,

put my trust in God's love

for ever and ever.

9 I mean to thank you constantly

for doing what you did,

and put my hope in your name, that is so full of kindness,

in the presence of those who love you.

For the choirmaster In sickness Poem Of David

1 The fool say in his heart,

"There is no God!"

They are false, corrupt, vile,

there is not one good man left.

2 God is looking down from heaven

at the sons of men,

to see if a single one is wise,

if a single one is seeking God.

3 All have turned aside,

all alike are tainted.

There is not one good man left,

not a single one.

4 Are they so ignorant, these evil men

who swallow my people

as though they were eating bread,

and never invoke God?

5 They will be struck with fear,

fear without reason,

since God scatters the bones of the apostate,

they are disgraced, for God rejects them.

6 Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?

When God brings his people home,

what joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!

For the choirmaster On stringed instruments Poem Of David When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, "Is not David hiding with us?"

1 God, save me by your name,

by your power see justice done to me;

2 God, hear my prayer,

listen to what I am saying!

3 Arrogant men are attacking me,

brutes who are hounding me to death,

people to whom God means nothing.

4 But now God himself comes to help me,

the Lord, supporter of my life.

5 May their wickedness recoil on themselves,

Yahweh, ever faithful, destroy my enemies!

6 How gladly will I offer sacrifice to you

and praise your name, that is so full of kindness.

7 He has rescued me from all my troubles,

and let me see my enemies defeated.

For the choirmaster For strings Poem Of David

1 God, hear my prayer,

do not hide from my petition,

2 give me a hearing, answer me,

I cannot rest for complaining.

3 I shudder at the enemy's shouts,

at the howling of the wicked;

they bring misery crashing down on me,

and vent their fury on me.

4 My heart aches in my breast.

Death's terrors assail me,

5 fear and trembling descend on me,

horror overwhelms me.

6 And I say,

"Oh for the wings of a dove

to fly away and find rest."

7 How far I would take my fight,

and make a new home in the desert!

8 There I should soon find shelter

from the raging wind,

9 and from the tempest, Lord, that destroys,

and from their malicious tongues.

I can see how Violence

and Discord fill the city;

10 day and night they walk together

along the city walls.

Sorrow and Misery live inside,

11 Ruin is an inmate;

Tyranny and Treachery are never absent

from its central square.

12 Were it an enemy who insulted me,

I could put up with that;

had a rival got the better of me,

I could hide from him.

13 But you, a man of my own rank,

a colleague and a friend,

14 to whom weet conversation bound me

in the house of God!

May they recoil in disorder,

15 may Death descend on them,

may they go down, still living, to Sheol -

since Evil shares their homes.

16 I, for myself, appeal to God

and Yahweh saves me;

17 evening, morning, noon,

I complain, I groan;

he will hear me calling.

18 His peace can ransom me

from the war being waged on me.

How many are ranged against me!

19 But God will hear me.

Sovereign from the first, he will humble them;

no change of heart for them,

since they do not fear God.

20 He has attacked his friends,

he has gone back on his word;

21 though his mouth is smoother than butter,

he has war in his heart;

his words may soothe more than oil,

but they are naked swords.

22 Unload your burden on to Yahweh,

and he will support you;

he will never permit

the virtuous to falter.

23 As for these murderous, these treacherous men,

you, God will push them

down the deepest Pit

before half their days are out.

For my part, I put my trust in you.

For the choirmaster Tune: "Dove of the distant gods" Of David Miktam When the Philistines held him in Gath

1 Take pity on me, God, as they harry me,

pressing their attacks home all day.

2 All day my opponents harry me,

hordes coming in to the attack.

3 Raise me up when I am most afraid,

I put my trust in you;

4 I God, whose word I praise,

I God I put my trust, fearing nothing;

what can men do to me?

5 All day long they twist what I say,

all they think of is how to harm me,

6 they conspire, lurk, spy on my movements,

determined to take my life.

7 Are they to go unpunished for such crime?

God, in fury brings the nations down!

8 You have noticed my agitation,

now collect my tears in your wineskin!

9 Then the enemies will have to fall back

as soon as I call for help.

This I know: that God is on my side.

10 In God whose word I praise,

in Yahweh, whose word I praise,

11 in God I put my trust, fearing nothing;

what can man do to me?

12 I must fulfill the vows I made you, God;

I shall pay you my thank offerings,

13 for you have rescued me from Death

to walk in the presence of God

in the light of the living.

For the choirmaster Tune: "do not destroy" Of David Miktam When he escaped from Saul, in the cave

1 Take pity on me, God, take pity on me,

in you my soul takes shelter;

I take shelter in the shadow of your wings

until the destroying storm is over.

2 I call on God the Most High,

on God who has done everything for me:

3 to send from heaven and save me,

to check the people harrying me,

may God send his faithfulness and love.

4 I lie surrounded by lions

greedy for human prey,

their teeth are spears and arrows,

their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Rise high above the heavens, God.

Let your glory be over the earth!

6 They laid a net where I was walking

when I was bowed with care;

they dug a pitfall for me

but fell into it themselves!

7 My heart is ready, God,

my heart is ready;

I mean to sig and play for you,

8 awake, my muse,

awake, lyre and harp,

I mean to wake the Dawn!

9 Lord, I mean to thank you among the peoples,

to play music to you among the nations;

10 your love is high as heaven,

your faithfulness as the clouds.

11 Rise high above the heavens, God,

let your glory be over the earth!

For the choirmaster Tune: "Do not destroy" Of David Miktam

1 Gods you may be, but do you give the sentences you should,

and dispense impartial justice to mankind?

2 On the contrary, in your hearts you meditate oppression,

with your hands you dole out tyranny on earth.

3 Right from the womb these wicked men have gone astray,

these double talkers have been in error since their birth;

4 their poison is the poison of the snake,

they are deaf as the adder that bocks its ears

5 so as not to hear the magician's music

and the clever snake charmer's spells.

6 God, break their teeth in their mouths,

Yahweh, wrench out the fangs of these savage lions!

7 May they drain away like water running to waste,

may they wither like trodden grass,

8 like a slug that melt as it moves,

like an abortion, denied the light of day!

9 Before they sprout thorns like the bramble,

green or scorched, may the wrath whirl them away!

10 What joy for the virtuous, seeing this vengeance,

bathing their feet in the blood of the wicked!

11 "So," people will say, "the virtuous do have their harvest;

so there is a God who dispenses justice on earth!"

For the choirmaster Tune: "Do not destroy" Of David Miktam When Sal sent spies to his house to have him killed

1 Rescue me from my enemies, my God,

protect me from those attacking me,

2 rescue me from these evil men,

save me from these murderers!

3 Look at them lurking to ambush me,

they are strong and united against me;

4 for no fault, no sin, no offense of mine,

Yahweh, how they hurry into position!

Wake up, stand by me and look,

5 Yahweh, God of Sabaoth, God of Israel,

up, now, and punish these pagans,

show no mercy to these villains and traitors!

6 Back they come at nightfall,

snarling like curs,

prowling through the town.

7 See how they slaver at the mouth,

with swords between their teeth,

"There is no one listening."

8 Yahweh, you laugh at them,

you make fun of these pagans.

9 My Strength, I look to you.

My citadel is God himself,

10 the God who loves me is coming,

God will show me my enemies defeated.

11 Slaughter them, God, before my people forget!

Harry them with your power and strike them down,

Lord, our shield!

12 Sin in their mouths, sin on their lips,

so let them be caught in their pride!

For the curses and lies they utter,

13 destroy them in anger, destroy, until they are finished,

until God is acknowledged as ruler in Jacob

to the remotest parts of the earth!

14 Back they come at nightfall,

snarling like curs,

prowling through the town;

15 scavenging for food,

growling till they are full.

16 I, for my part, celebrate your strength,

I sing of your love morning by morning;

you have always been my citadel,

a shelter when I am in trouble.

17 My Strength, I play for you,

my citadel is God himself,

the God who loves me.

For the choirmaster Tune: "The decree is a lily" Miytam Of David For instruction When he was at war with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab marched back to destroy twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt

1 God, you have rejected us, broken us;

you have been angry, come ack to us!

2 You have made the earth tremble, torn it apart;

now mend the rifts, it is tottering still!

3 You have allowed your people to suffer,

to drink a wine that makes us reel.

4 Hoist the standard to rally those who fear you,

to put them out of range of bow and arrow.

5 save wit your right hand and answer us!

6 God promised us once from his sanctuary,

"I the Victor will parcel out Shechem,

and share out the Valley of Succoth.

7 "Gilead is mine, Manasseh mine,

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah, my marshal's baton.

8 "Moab a bowl for me to wash in!

I throw my sandal over Edom.

Now shout 'Victory,' Philistia!"

9 Who is there now to take me into the fortified city,

to lead me into Edom?

10 God can you really have rejected us?

You no longer march with our armies.

11 Help us in this hour of crisis,

the help that man can give is worthless.

12 With God among us we shall fight like heroes,

he will trample on our enemies.

For the choirmaster For strings Of David

1 God, hear my cry for help,

listen to my prayer!

2 From the end of the earth I call to you,

with sinking heart.

To the rock too high for me,

lead me!

3 For you are my refuge,

a strong tower against the enemy.

4 Let me stay in your tent for ever,

taking refuge in the shelter of your wings.

5 You, God, accepts my vows,

you grant me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6 Let the king live on and on,

prolong his years, generation on generation.

7 May he sits enthroned in God's presence for ever!

Assign your Love and Faithfulness to guard him!

8 So I shall always sing of your name,

fulfilling the vows I have taken, day after day.

For the choirmaster . . . Jeduthun Psalm Of David

1 In God alone there is rest for my soul,

from him comes my safety;

2 with him alone for my rock, my safety,

my fortress, I can never fall.

3 How many times will you come rushing at a man,

all of you, to bring him down

like a wall already leaning over,

like a rampart undermined?

4 Deceit their sole intention,

their delight is to mislead;

with lies on their lips they bless aloud,

while cursing inwardly.

5 Rest in God alone, my soul!

He is the source of my hope;

6 with him alone for my rock, my safety,

my fortress, I can never fall;

7 rest in God, my safety, my glory,

the rock of my strength.

8 In God, I find shelter; rely on him

people, at al times;

unburden your hearts to him,

God is a shelter for us.

9 Ordinary men are only a puff of wind,

important men delusion;

put both in the scales and up they go,

lighter than a puff of wind.

10 Put no reliance on extortion,

no empty hopes in robbery;

though riches may increase,

keep you heart detached.

11 God has spoken once,

twice I have heard this:

it is for God to be strong,

12 for you, Lord, to be loving;

and you yourself repay

man as his works deserve.

Psalm Of David When he was in the wilderness of Judah

1 God, you are my God, I am seeking you,

my soul is thirsting for you,

my flesh is longing for you,

a land parched, weary and waterless;

2 I long to gaze on you in your Sanctuary,

and to see your power and glory.

3 Your love is better than life itself,

my lips will recite your praise;

4 all my life I will bless you,

in your name lift up my hands;

5 my soul will feast most richly,

on my lips a song of joy and, in my mouth, praise.

6 On my bed I think of you,

I meditate on you all night long,

7 for you have always helped me.

I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings;

8 my soul clings close to you

your right hand supports me.

9 But may those now hounding me to death

go down to the earth below,

10 consigned to the edge of the sword,

and left as food for jackals.

11 Then will the king rejoice in God,

and all who swear by him be able to boast

once these lying mouths are silenced.

For the choirmaster Psalm Of David

1 God, hear me I make my plea,

protect me from the frightening enemy,

2 hide me from the wicked and their schemes,

from this mob of evil men,

3 sharpening their tongues like swords,

shooting their bitter words like arrows,

4 shooting them at the innocent from cover,

shooting suddenly, without warning.

5 Urging each other on to their wicked purpose,

they discuss where to hide their snares.

"Who is going to see us?" they say,

6 "Who can probe our secrets?"

Who? He who probes the inmost mind

and the depths of the heart.

7 God will shoot them with his own arrows,

wound them without warning.

8 He will destroy them for that tongue of theirs,

and all who see them fall shake their heads.

9 Then all will be afraid,

will tell others what God has done;

they will understand why he has done it.

10 The virtuous will rejoice in Yahweh,

will make him their refuge;

and upright hearts will be able to boast.

For the choirmaster Of David Song

1 Praise is rightfully yours,

God, in Zion,

Vows to you must be fulfilled,

2 for you answer prayer.

All flesh must come to you

3 with all its sins;

though our faults overpower us,

you blot them out.

4 Happy the man you choose, whom you invite

to live in your courts.

Fill us with good things of your house,

of your holy Temple.

5 Your righteousness repays us with marvels,

God our saviour,

hope of all the ends of the earth

and the distant islands.

6 Your strength holds the mountains up,

such is the power that wraps you;

7 you calm the clamour of the ocean,

the clamour of its waves.

8 The nations are in uproar, in panic

those who live at the ends of the world,

as your miracles bring shouts of joy

to the portals of morning and evening.

9 You visit the earth and water it,

you load it with riches;

God's rivers brim with water

to provide their grain.

10 This is how you provide it:

by drenching its furrows, by levelling its ridges,

by softening it with showers, by blessing the first fruits.

11 You crown the year with your bounty,

abundance flows wherever you pass;

12 the desert pastures overflow,

the hillsides are wrapped in joy,

13 the meadows are dressed in flocks,

the valleys are clothed in wheat,

what shouts of joy, what singing!

For the choirmaster Song Psalm

1 Acclaim God, all the earth,

2 play music to the glory of his name,

glorify him with your praises,

3 say to God, "What dread you inspire!"

Your achievements are the measure of your power.

Your enemies cringe in your presence;

4 all the earth bow down to you,

playing music for you, playing in honour of your name.

5 Come and see what marvels God has done,

so much to be feared for his deeds among mankind:

6 he turn the sea into dry land,

they crossed the river on foot!

So let us rejoice in him,

7 who rules for ever by his power;

his eyes keep watch on the nations,

let ne rebel raise his head!

8 You nations, bless our God

and make his praise resound,

9 who brings our soul to life

and keeps our feet from faltering.

10 You tested us, God,

you refined us like silver,

11 you let us fall into the net,

you laid heavy burdens on our backs,

12 you let people drive over our heads;

but now the ordeal by fire and water is over,

and you allow us once more to draw breath.

13 I bring holocausts to your house,

I bring them to fulfill my vows

14 that rose to my lips,

those vows I spoke when in trouble.

15 I offer you fat holocausts

and the smoke of burning rams,

I offer you bullocks and he-goats.

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,

while I tell you what he has done for me:

17 when I utter my cry to him

and high praise was on my tongue,

18 had I been guilty in my heart,

the Lord would never have heard me.

19 But God not only heard me,

he listened to my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,

who neither ignored my prayer

nor deprived me of his love.

For the choirmaster For strings Psalm Song

1 May God show kindness and bless us,

and make his face smile on us!

2 For the earth will acknowledge your ways

and all the nations will know of your power to save.

3 Let the nations praise you, O God,

let all the nations praise you!

4 Let the nations shout and sing for joy,

since you dispense true justice to the world;

you dispense strict justice to the peoples,

on earth you rule the nations.

5 Let the nations praise you, God.

Let all the nations praise you!

6 The soil has given its harvest,

God, our God, has blessed us.

7 May God bless us, and let him be feared

to the very ends of the earth.

For the choirmaster Of David Psalm Song

1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered,

let those who hate him flee before him!

2 As smoke disperses, they disperse;

as wax melts when near fire,

so the wicked perish when God approaches.

3 But at God's approach, the virtuous rejoice,

exulting and singing for joy.

4 Sing to Yahweh, play music to his name,

build a road for the Rider of the Clouds,

rejoice in Yahweh, exult at his coming!

5 Father of orphans, defender of widows,

such is God in his holy dwelling;

6 God gives the lonely a permanent home,

makes prisoners happy by setting them free,

but rebels must live in an arid land.

7 God, when you set out at the head of your people,

8 and marched across the desert, the earth rocked,

the heavens deluged at God's coming,

at the coming of God, the God of Israel.

9 God, you rained a downpour of blessings,

when your heritage was faint you gave it strength;

10 your family found a home, where you

in your goodness, God, provided for the needy.

11 The Lord gives his couriers the news,

"Shaddai has scattered a huge army."

12 Kings are in flight, armies in flight,

the women at home take their pick of the loot.

13 Meanwhile you others were lolling in the sheepfolds.

There were dove wings covered with silver,

on their pinions the sheen of green gold;

14 jewels were there like snow on Dark Mountain.

15 That peak of Bashan, a mountain of God?

Rather, a mountain of pride, that peak of Bashan!

16 a mountain where God has chosen to live,

where Yahweh is going to live for ever?

17 With thousands of myriads of divine chariots

the Lord has left Sinai for his sanctuary,

18 God, you have ascended to the height, and captured prisoners,

you have taken men as tribute,

yes, taken rebels to your dwelling, Yahweh!

19 Blessed be the Lord day after day,

the God who saves us and bears our burdens!

20 This God of ours is a God who saves,

to the Lord Yahweh belong the ways of escape from death;

21 but God will smash the heads of his enemies,

the hairy skull of the man who parades his guilt.

22 The Lord has promised, "I will bring them back from Bashan,

I will bring them back from the bottom of the sea,

23 for your feet to wade in blood,

for the tongues of your dogs to lap their share of the enemy."

24 God, your procession can be seen,

my God's my King's procession to the sanctuary,

25 with cantors marching in front, musicians behind,

and between them maidens playing tambourines.

26 Bless God in your choirs,

bless the Lord, you who spring from Israel!

27 Benjamin, the youngest, is there in the lead,

the princess of Judah in brocaded robes,

the princes of Zebulun, the princess of Naphtali.

28 Take command, God, as befits your power,

that power, God, you have wielded on your behalf

29 from your Temple high above Jerusalem!

Kings will come to you, bringing presents.

30 Rebuke the Beast of the Reeds,

that herd of bulls, those calves, that people,

until, humbled, they bring gold and silver.

Scatter those warmongering pagans!

31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt,

Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,

33 play for the Rider of the Heavens, the ancient heavens!

Listen to him shouting, to his thundering,

34 and acknowledge the power of God!

Over Israel his splendour, in the clods his power,

35 God in his sanctuary is greatly to be feared.

He, the God of Israel,

gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God.

For the choirmaster Tune" "Lilies . . ." Of David

1 Save me, God! The water

is already up to my neck!

2 I am sinking in the deepest swamp,

there is no foothold;

I have stepped into deep water

and the waves are washing over me.

3 Worn out wit calling, my throat is hoarse,

my eyes are strained, looking for God.

4 More people hate me for no reason

than I have hairs on my head,

more are groundlessly hostile

than I have hair to show.

(They ask me to give back what I never took.)

5 God, you know how foolish I have been,

my offenses are not hidden from you;

6 but let those who hope in you not blush for me,

Yahweh Sabaoth!

Let those who seek you not be ashamed of me,

God of Israel!

7 It is for you I am putting up with insults

that cover me with shame,

8 that make me a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother's sons;

9 zeal for your house devours me,

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10 If I mortify myself with fasting,

they make this a pretext for insulting me;

11 if I dress myself in sackcloth,

I become their laughingstock,

12 the gossip of people sitting at the city gate,

and the theme of drunken songs.

13 For my part, I pray to you, Yahweh,

at the time you wish;

in your great love, answer me, God.

14 Pull me out of this swamp; let me sink no further,

let me escape those who hate me,

save me from deep water!

15 Do not let the waves wash over me,

do not let the deep swallow me

or the Pit close its mouth on me.

16 In your loving kindness, answer me, Yahweh,

in your great tenderness turn to me;

17 do not hide your face from your servant,

quick, I am in trouble, answer me;

18 come to my side, redeem me,

from so many enemies ransom me.

19 You know all the insults I endure,

every one of my oppressors is known to you;

20 the insults have broken my heart,

my shame and disgrace are past cure;

I had hoped for sympathy, but in vain,

I found no one to console me.

21 They gave me poison to eat instead,

when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 May their own table prove a trap for them,

and their plentiful supplies, a snare!

23 may their eyes grow dim, go blind,

strike their loins with chronic palsy!

24 Vent your fury on them,

let your burning anger overtake them;

25 may their camp be reduced t ruin,

and their tents left unoccupied:

26 for hounding a man after you had struck him,

for adding more wounds to those which you inflicted.

27 Charge them with crime after crime,

deny them further access to your righteousness,

28 blot them out of the book of life,

strike them off the roll of the virtuous!

29 For myself, wounded wretch that am,

by your saving power, God, lift me p!

30 I will praise the name of God with a song,

I will extol him with my thanksgiving,

31 more pleasing to Yahweh than any ox

or bull with horn and hoof.

32 Then seeing this, the humble can rejoice:

long life to your hearts, all you who seek for God!

33 Yahweh will always hear those who are in need,

will never scorn his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth acclaim him,

the ocean and all that moves in them!

35 For God will save Zion,

and rebuild the towns of Judah:

they will be lived in, owned.

36 handed down to his servants' descendants,

and lived in by those who love his name.

For the choirmaster Of David For commemoration

1 Oh come and rescue me, God,

Yahweh come quickly and help me!

2 Same and dishonour on those

who are out to kill me!

Down with them! Disgrace on those

who enjoy my misfortune!

3 May they be aghast with shame,

those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"

4 But joy and gladness

for all who seek you!

To all who love your saving power

give constant cause to say, "God is great!"

5 To me, poor wretch,

come quickly, God!

My helper, my saviour, Yahweh,

come without delay!

1 In you, Yahweh, I take shelter;

never let me be disgraced.

2 In your righteousness rescue me, deliver me,

turn you ear to me and save me!

3 Be a sheltering rock for me,

a walled fortress to save me!

For you are my rock, my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the hands of the wicked,

from the clutches of rogue and tyrant!

5 For you alone are my hope, Lord,

Yahweh, I have trusted you since my youth,

6 I have relied on you since I was born,

you have been my portion from my mother's womb,

and the constant theme of my praise.

7 To many I have seemed an enigma,

but you are my firm refuge.

8 My mouth is full of your praises,

filled with splendour all day long.

9 Do not reject me ow I am old,

nor desert me now my strength in falling,

10 for my enemies are uttering threats,

spies hatching their conspiracy:

11 "Hound him down now that God has deserted him,

seize him, there is no one to rescue him!"

12 God, do not stand aside,

my God, come quickly and help me!

13 Shame and ruin on those

who attack me;

may insult and disgrace cover those

whose aim is to hurt me!

14 I promised that, ever hopeful,

I will praise you more and more,

15 my lips shall proclaim your righteousness

and power to save, all day long.

16 I will come in the power of Yahweh

to commemorate your righteousness, yours alone.

17 God, you taught me when I was young,

and I am still proclaiming your marvels.

18 Now that I am old and gray,

God, do not desert me;

let me live to tell rising generation

about your strength and power,

19 about your heavenly righteousness, God.

You have done great things;

who, God, is comparable to you?

20 You have sent me misery and hardship,

but you will give me life again,

you will pull me up again from the depths of the earth,

21 prolong my old age, and once more comfort me.

22 I promise I will thank you on the lyre,

my ever-faithful God,

I will play the harp in your honour,

Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall sing for joy as I play to you,

and this soul of mine which you have redeemed.

24 And all day long, my tongue

shall be talking of your righteousness.

Shame and disgrace on those

whose aim is to hurt me!

Of Solomon

1 God, give your own justice to the king,

your own righteousness to the royal son,

2 so that he may rule your people rightly

and your poor with justice

3 Let the mountains and hills

bring a message of peace for the people.

4 Uprightly he will defend the poorest,

he will save the children of those in need,

and crush their oppressors.

5 Like sun and moon he will endure,

age after age,

6 welcome as rain that falls on the pasture,

and showers to thirsty soil.

7 In his days virtue will flourish,

a universal peace till the moon is no more;

8 his empire shall stretch from sea to sea,

from the river to the ends of the earth.

9 The Beast will cower before him

and his enemies grovel in the dust;

10 the kings of Tarshish and of the islands

will pay him tribute.

The kings of Sheba ans Seba

will offer gifts;

11 all kings will do him homage,

all nations become his servants.

12 He will free the poor man who calls to him,

and those who need help,

13 he will have pity on the poor and the feeble,

and save the lives of those in need;

14 he will redeem their lives from exploitation and outrage,

their lives will be precious in his sight.

15 (Long may he live, may gold from Sheba be given him!)

Prayer will be offered for him constantly,

blessings invoked on him all day long.

16 Grain everywhere in the country,

even on the mountain tops,

abundant as common grass!

17 Blessed be his name for ever,

enduring as long as the sun!

May every race in the world be blessed in him,

and all the nations call him blessed!

18 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,

who alone performs these marvels!

19 Blessed for ever be his glorious name,

may the whole world be filled with his glory!

Amen. Amen!

20 End of the prayer of David, son of Jesse.

Psalm Of Asaph

1 God is indeed good to Israel,

the Lord is good to pure hearts.

2 My feet were on the point of stumbling,

a little further and I should have slipped,

3 envying the arrogant as I did, and watching the wicked get rich.

4 For them, no such thing as pain,

their bodies are healthy and strong,

5 they do not suffer as other men do,

no human afflictions for them!

6 So pride is their chain of honour,

violence the garment that covers them;

7 their spite oozes like fat,

their hearts drip with slyness.

8 Cynical advocates of evil,

lofty advocates of force,

9 they think their mouth is heaven

and their tongue can dictate on earth.

10 This is why my people turn to them

and lap up all they say,

11 asking, "How will God find out?

Does the Most High know everything?

12 Look at them: these are the wicked,

well-off and still getting richer!"

13 After all, why should I keep my own heart pure,

and wash my hands in innocence,

14 if you plague me all day long

and discipline me every morning?

15 Had I said, "That talk appeals to me."

I should have betrayed your children's race.

16 Instead, I tried to analyse the problem,

hard though I found it -

17 until the day I pierced the mystery

and saw the end in store for them:

18 they are on a slippery slope, you put them there,

you urge them on to ruin,

19 until suddenly they fall,

done for, terrified to death.

20 When you wake up, Lord, you shrug them off

like the phantoms of a morning dream.

21 When my heart had been growing sourer

with pain shooting through my loins,

22 I had simply failed to understand,

my stupid attitude to you was brutish.

23 Even so, I stayed in your presence,

you held my right hand;

24 now guide me with advice

and in the end receive me into glory.

25 I look to no one else in heaven,

I delight in nothing else on earth.

26 My flesh and my heart are pining with love,

my heart's Rock, my own, God for ever!

27 So then: those who abandon you are doomed,

you destroy the adulterous deserter;

28 I have taken shelter in the Lord,

continually to proclaim what you have done.

Poem Of Asaph

1 God, have you finally rejected us,

raging at the flock you used to pasture?

2 Remember the people you long since made your own,

your hereditary tribe whom you redeemed,

and this Mount Zion where you came to live.

3 Pick your steps over these endless ruins:

the enemy have sacked everything in the sanctuary,

4 They roar where your Assemblies used to take place,

they stuck their enemy emblems over the entrance,

5 emblems we have never seen before.

6 Axes deep in the wood, hacking at the panels,

they battered them down with mallet and hatchet;

7 then, God, setting fire to your sanctuary,

they profanely razed the house of your name to the ground.

8 Determined to destroy us once and for all,

they burned down every shrine of God in the country.

9 Deprived of signs, with no prophets left,

who can say how long this will last?

10 How much longer, God, is the oppressor to blaspheme,

is the enemy to insult your name for ever?

11 Why hold back your hand,

why keep your right hand hidden?

12 Yet, God, my king from the first,

author of saving acts throughout the earth,

13 by your power you split the sea in two,

and smashed the heads of monsters on the waters.

14 You crushed Leviathan's heads,

leaving him for wild animals to eat,

15 you opened the spring, the torrent,

you dried up inexhaustible rivers.

16 You are master of day and night,

you instituted light and sun,

17 you fixed the boundaries of the world,

you created summer and winter.

18 Now, Yahweh, remember the enemy's blasphemy,

how frenzied people dare to insult your name.

19 Do not betray your turtledove to the beast,

do not forget your wretched people for good.

20 Respect the covenant! We can bear no more -

every cave in the country is the scene of violence!

21 Do not let the hard-pressed retreat in confusion,

give the poor and needy cause to praise your name.

22 Rise, God, say something on your own behalf,

do not forget the madman's daylong blaspheming,

23 remember the shouting of your enemies,

this ever-rising clamour of your adversaries.

For the choirmaster Tune: "Do not destroy" Psalm Of Asaph Song

1 We give thanks to you, God,

we give thanks as we invoke your name,

as we recount your marvels.

2 "At the moment I decide

I will dispense strict justice;

3 The earth shall quake and all its inhabitants,

it is I who poised its columns.

4 "I said to the boastful: Enough of boasting!

And to the wicked: How dare you raise your horn,

5 how dare you raise your horn like that,

how dare you speak so boldly!"

6 Not fro the east, nor from the west,

not from the desert, nor from the mountains,

7 but from God the judgment comes,

lowering one, raising the other.

8 Yahweh is holding a cup

of frothing wine, heavily drugged;

he ours it out, they drain it to the dregs,

all drink of it, the wicked of the earth

9 But I will never stop proclaiming the God of Jacob

or playing in his honour;

10 I will cut off the horns of all the wicked

and raise the horns of the virtuous.

For the choirmaster For strings Psalm Of Asaph

1 God is renowned in Judah,

his name is great in Israel;

2 his tent is pitched in Salem,

his home is in Zion;

3 there he has broken the lightning-swift arrow,

the shield, the sword and te line of battle.

4 You the Illustrious and Majestic:

5 mountains of spoil have been captured;

heroes are now sleeping their last sleep,

the warriors' arms have failed them;

6 at your reproof, God of Jacob,

chariot and horse stand spellbound.

7 You the terrible! Wh can oppose you

and your furious onslaught?

8 When your verdicts thunder from heaven,

earth stays silent with dread;

9 when God stands up to give judgment

and to save all the humble of the earth.

10 Man's wrath only adds to your glory;

the survivors of your wrath you will draw like girdle around you;

11 fulfill the promises you made to Yahweh your God,

make offerings to the Terrible, you who surround him;

12 he snuffs out the lives of princes,

he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

For the choirmaster . . . Jeduthun Of Asaph Psalm

1 Loudly I cry to God,

loudly to God who hears me.

2 When in trouble I sought the Lord,

all night long I stretched out my hands,

my soul refusing to be consoled.

3 I thought of God and sighed,

I pondered and my spirit failed me.

4 You stopped me closing my eyes,

I was too distraught to speak;

5 I thought of the olden days,

6 years long past came ack to me,

I spent all night meditating in my heart,

I pondered and my spirit asked this question:

7 "If the Lord has rejected you, is this final?

If he withholds his favour, is this for ever?

8 Is his love over for good

and the promise void for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to show mercy,

or has his anger overcome his tenderness?

10 "This," I said then, "is what distress me:

that the power of the Most High is no longer what it was."

11 Remembering Yahweh's achievements,

remembering your marvels in the past,

12 I reflect on all that you did,

I ponder on all your achievements.

13 God, your ways are holy!

What god so great as God?

14 You are the God who did marvellous things

and forced nations to acknowledge your power,

15 with your own arm redeeming your people,

the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

16 When the waters saw it was you, God,

when the waters saw it was you, they recoiled,

shuddering to their depths.

17 The clouds poured down water,

the sky thundered,

your arrows darted out.

18 Your thunder crashed as it rolled,

your lightning lit up the world,

the earth shuddered and quaked.

19 You strode across the sea,

you marched across the ocean,

but your steps could not be seen.

20 You guided your people like a flock

by the hands of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm Of Asaph

1 Listen to this Law, my people,

pay attention to what I say;

2 I am going t speak to you in parable

and expound the mysteries of our past.

3 What we have heard and known for ourselves,

and what our ancestors have told us,

4 must not be withheld from their descendants,

but be handed on by us to the next generation;

That is: the titles of Yahweh, his power

and the miracles he has done.

5 when he issued the decrees for Jacob

and instituted a Law in Israel,

He gave our ancestors strict orders

to teach it to their children;

6 the next generation was to learn it,

the children still to be born,

And these in their turn were to tell their own children

7 so that they too would put their confidence in God,

never forgetting God's achievements,

and always keeping his commandments,

8 and not becoming, like their ancestors,

a stubborn and unruly generation,

a generation with no sincerity of heart,

in spirit unfaithful to God.

9 The sons of Ephraim, who were bowmen,

turned tail when the time came to fight;

10 they had not kept God's covenant,

they refuse to follow his Law;

11 they had forgotten his achievements,

the marvels he had shown them:

12 he had worked wonders for their ancestors

in the plains of Zoan, down in Egypt;

13 dividing the sea, bringing them through,

making the waters stand up like dikes,

14 leading them with a cloud by day

and with a fiery glow at night,

15 splitting rocks in the wilderness,

quenching their thirst with unlimited water,

16 conjuring streams from the rock

and bringing down water in torrents.

17 They only sinned against him more than ever,

defying the Most High in the desert,

18 deliberately challenging God

by demanding their favourite food.

19 They blasphemed against God,

"Is it likely," they said, "that God

could give a banquet in the wilderness?

20 "Admittedly, when he struck the rock,

waters gushed, torrents streamed out,

but bread now, can he give us that,

can he provide meat for his people?"

21 Yahweh was enraged when he heard them,

a fire flared at Jacob,

the wrath attacked Israel

22 for having no faith in God,

no trust in his power to save.

23 He gave orders to the skies above,

he opened the doors of heaven,

24 he rained manna to feed them,

he gave them the wheat of heaven;

25 men ate the bread of Immortals,

he sent them more food than they could eat.

26 He stirred up an east wind in the heavens,

he conjured up a south wind by his power,

27 he rained down meat on them like dust;

birds as thick as sand on the seashore

28 he sent tumbling into their camp,

in all directions around their tents.

29 They all had enough and to spare,

he having provided what they wanted;

30 but they had hardly satisfied their craving,

the food was still in their mouths,

31 when the wrath of God attacked them,

slaughtering their strongest men

and laying the flower of Israel low.

32 Despite all this they went on sinning,

and put no faith in his marvels;

33 for which he blasted their days

and their years in a flash.

34 Whenever he slaughtered them they sought him,

they came to their senses and sought him earnestly

35 remembering that God was their rock,

God the Most High, their redeemer.

36 But though they outwardly flattered him

and used their tongues to lie to him,

37 in their heart they were not true to him,

they were unfaithful to his covenant.

38 Compassionately, however,

he forgave their guilt instead of killing them,

repeatedly repressing his anger

instead of rousing his full wrath,

39 remembering they were creatures of flesh,

a puff of wind that passes and does not return.

40 How often they defied him in the wilderness,

how often they outraged him in the desert,

41 Repeatedly challenging God,

provoking the Holy One of Israel -

42 entirely oblivious of his hand

and of the time he saved them from the oppressor;

43 by imposing his signs on Egypt,

by displaying his wonders in the plains of Zoan,

44 by turning their river to blood

to stop them drinking from their streams,

45 by sending horseflies to eat them

and frogs to devastate them,

46 by consigning their crops to the caterpillar

and their hard-won harvest to the locust,

47 by killing their vines with hail

and their sycamore trees with frost,

48 by condemning their cattle to plague

and their flocks to feverish pests,

49 by unleashing his fierce anger, rage,

indignation and hardship on them,

a mission of angels of disaster,

50 by giving his anger free rein,

By not even exempting them from death,

by condemning them to plague,

51 by striking down all the first-born in Egypt,

the first fruits of their virility in the tents of Ham,

52 by driving his people out like sheep,

by leading them through the wilderness like a flock,

53 by guiding them safe and unafraid

while the sea engulfed their enemies,

54 by bringing them to his sacred frontier,

the highlands conquered by his own right hand,

55 by expelling the pagans in front of them

and by marking out the heritage for each,

in which the tribes of Israel could pitch their tents.

56 Even so, they went on challenging God the Most High,

rebelliously disregarding his decrees;

57 as perverse and disloyal as their ancestors,

treacherous as a bow with a warp,

58 provoking him with their high places

and rousing his jealousy with their idols.

59 God was enrages when he heard them,

he rejected Israel out of hand,

60 he left his home in Shiloh,

that tent where he once lived with men.

61 He consigned his power to captivity,

his splendour to the enemy's clutches;

62 he condemned his own people to the sword,

he raged at his heritage,

63 whose young men were then burned to death -

no brides left to hear the wedding song;

64 whose priest fell by the sword -

no widows left to raise the dirge.

65 Then, like a sleeper, like a hero

fighting-mad with wine, the Lord woke up

66 to strike his enemies on the rump

and put them to everlasting shame.

67 Rejecting the tent of Joseph,

not choosing the tribe of Ephraim,

68 instead he chose the tribe of Judah

and his well-loved mountain of Zion,

69 where he built his sanctuary, a copy of high heaven,

founding it firm as the earth for ever.

70 Choosing David as his servant,

he took him from the sheepfold,

71 called him from tending ewes in lamb

to pasture his people Jacob

and Israel his heritage:

72 who did this with unselfish care

and led them with a sensitive hand.

Psalm Of Asaph

1 God, the pagans have invaded your heritage,

they have desecrated your holy Temple;

they have reduced Jerusalem to a pile of ruins,

2 they have left the corpses of your servants

to the birds of the air for food,

and the flesh of your devout to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have shed blood like water

throughout Jerusalem, not a gravedigger left!

4 we are now insulted by our neighbours,

butt and laughingstock of all those around us.

5 How much longer will you be angry, Yahweh? For ever?

Is your jealousy to go smoldering like a fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the pagans,

who do not acknowledge you,

and on those kingdoms

that do not call on your name,

7 for they have devoured Jacob

and reduced his home to desolation.

8 Do not hold our ancestors' crime against us,

in tenderness quickly intervene,

we can hardly be crushed lower;

9 help us, God our saviour,

for the honour of your name;

Yahweh, blot out our sins,

rescue us for the sake of your name.

10 Why should the pagans ask, "Where is their God?"

May we soon see the pagans learning what vengeance

you exact for your servants's blood shed here!

11 May the groans of the captive reach you;

by your mighty arm rescue those doomed to die!

12 Pay our neighbours sevenfold, strike to the heart

for the monstrous insult proffered to you, Lord!

13 And we your people, the flock that you pasture,

giving you everlasting thanks,

will recite your praise for ever and ever.

For the choirmaster Tune: "The decrees are lilies" Of Asaph Psalm

1 Shepherd of Israel, listen,

you who lead Joseph like a flock;

enthroned on the cherubs, shine

2 on Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh;

rouse your strength,

come to us and save us!

3 Yahweh Sabaoth, bring us back,

let your face smile on us and we shall be safe.

4 Yahweh Sabaoth, how much longer

will you smolder at your people's prayer

5 Having fed us on the bread of tears,

having made us drink them in such measure,

6 you now let our neighbours quarrel over us

and our enemies deride us.

7 Yahweh Sabaoth, bring us back,

let your face smile on us and we shall be safe.

8 There was a vine: you uprooted it from Egypt;

to plant it, you drove out other nations,

9 you cleared a space where it could grow,

it took root and filled the whole country.

10 It covered the mountain with its shade,

the cedars of God with its branches,

11 its tendrils extended to the sea,

its offshoots all the way to the river.

12 Why have you destroyed its fences?

Now everyone can go and steal its grapes,

13 the forest boar can ravage it

and wild animals eat it.

14 Please, Yahweh Sabaoth, relent!

Look down from heaven, look at this vine,

15 visit it, protect

what your own right hand has planted.

16 They threw it on the fire like dung,

but one look of reproof from you

and they will be doomed.

17 May your hand protect the man at your right,

the son of man who has been authorized by you.

18 We shall never turn from you again;

our life renewed, we shall invoke your name.

19 Yahweh Sabaoth, bring us back,

let your face smile on us ans we shall be safe.

For the choirmaster On the . . . of Gath Of Asaph

1 Shout for joy to honour God our strength,

shout to acclaim the God of Jacob!

2 Start the music, sound the drum,

the melodious lyre and the harp;

3 sound the New Moon trumpet,

at the full moon, on our feast day!

4 This is a statute binding on Israel,

an ordinance of the God of Jacob,

5 this decree he imposed on Joseph

when he went to war against Egypt.

I can hear a voice I no longer recognize,

6 "It was I who relieved your shoulder of the burden,

your hands could drop the labourer's basket;

7 you called in your trouble, so I rescued you.

"Hidden in the storm, I answered you,

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

8 Listen, you are my people, let me warn you.

Israel, if you would only listen to me!

9 "Tolerate no foreign god,

worship no alien god;

10 I Yahweh, am your God,

I who brought you here from Egypt;

you have only to open your mouth for me to fill it.

11 "My people refused to listen to me,

Israel refused to obey me,

12 so I left them to their stubborn selves

to do whatever they pleased.

13 "If only my people would listen,

if Israel would follow my ways,

14 at one blow I would defeat their enemies

and strike at all who attack them.

15 "Then those who hate Yahweh would cringe,

their doom being sealed for ever;

16 while I would feed you on pure wheat

and satisfy you with the wild rock honey."

Psalm of Asaph

1 God stands in the divine assembly,

among the gods he dispenses justice:

2 "No more mockery of justice,

no more favouring the wicked!

3 Let the weak and the orphan have justice,

be fair to the wretched and the destitute;

4 rescue the weak and needy,

save them from the clutches of the wicked!"

5 Ignorant and senseless, they carry blindly,

undermining the very basis of earthly society.

6 I once said, "You too are gods,

sons of the Most High, all of you."

7 but all the same, you shall die like other men;

as one man, princes, you shall fall.

8 Rise, God, dispense justice throughout the world,

since no nation is excluded from your worship.

Song Psalm Of Asaph

1 God, do not remain silent;

do not be unmoved, O God, or unresponsive!

2 See how your enemies are stirring,

see how those who hate you rear their heads.

3 Weaving a plot against your people,

4 conspiring against those you protect, they say,

'Come we will finish them as a nation,

the name of Israel shall be forgotten!"

5 Unanimous in their plot,

they seal a treaty against you:

6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

Moab and the Hagrites,

7 Gebal, Ammon, Amalek,

Philistia and the Tyrians;

8 and now Assur has joined them

to reinforce the sons of Lot.

9 Treat them like Midian ans Sisera,

like Jabin at the river Kishon,

10 wiped out at En-dor,

they served to dung the ground.

11 Treat their generals like Oreb and Zeeb,

their commanders like Zebah and Zalmunna,

12 those who said, "Let us take for ourselves

possession of the Dwelling of God!"

13 My God, bowl them along like tumbleweed,

like chaff at the mercy of the wind;

14 as fire devours the forest,

as the flame licks up the mountains,

15 drive them on with your whirlwind,

rout them with your tornado;

16 cover their faces with shame,

until they seek your name, Yahweh.

17 Same and panic be always theirs,

18 disgrace and death; and let them know this:

you alone bear the name of Yahweh,

Most High over the whole world.

For the choirmaster On te . . . Of Gath Of the sons of Korah Psalm

1 How I love your place,

Yahweh Sabaoth!

2 How my soul yearns and pines

for Yahweh's courts!

My heart and my flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

3 The sparrow has found its home at last,

The swallow a nest for its young,

your altars, Yahweh Sabaoth,

my king and my God.

4 Happy those who live in your house

and can praise you all day long;

5 and happy the pilgrims inspired by you

with courage to make the Ascents!

6 As they go through the Valley of the Weeper,

they make it a lace of springs,

clothed in blessings by early rains.

7 Thence they make their way from height to height,

soon to be seen before God on Zion.

8 Yahweh Sabaoth, hear my prayer,

listen, God of Jacob;

9 God our shield, now look on us

and be kind to your anointed.

10 A single day in your courts

is worth more than a thousand elsewhere;

merely to stand of the steps of God's house

is better than living with the wicked.

11 For God is battlement and shield,

conferring grace and glory;

Yahweh withholds nothing good

from those who walk without blame.

12 Yahweh Sabaoth,

happy the man who puts his trust in you!

For the choirmaster Of the sons of Korah Psalm

1 Yahweh, you favour your own country,

you bring back the captives of Jacob,

2 you take your people's guilt away,

you blot out all their sins,

3 you retract all your anger,

you abjure your fiery rage.

4 Bring us back, God our saviour,

master your resentment against us.

5 Do you mean to be angry with s for ever,

to prolong your wrath age after age?

6 Will you not give us life again,

for your people to rejoice in you?

7 Yahweh, show us your love,

grant us your saving help.

8 I am listening. What is Yahweh saying?

What God is saying means peace

for his people, for his friends,

if only they renounce their folly;

9 for those who fear him, his saving help is near,

and the glory will then live in our country.

10 Love and loyalty now meet,

Righteousness and Peace now embrace;

11 Loyalty reaches up from earth

and Righteousness leans down from heaven.

12 Yahweh himself bestows happiness

as our soil gives its harvest,

13 Righteousness always preceding him

and Peace following his footsteps.

Prayer Of David

1 Listen to me Yahweh, and answer me,

poor and needy as I am;

2 keep my soul: I am your devoted one,

save your servant who relies on you.

3 You are my God, take pity on me Lord,

I invoke you all day long;

4 give your servant reason to rejoice,

for to you, I lift my soul.

5 Lord, you are good and forgiving,

most loving to all who invoke you;

6 Yahweh, hear my prayer,

listen to me as I plead.

7 Lord, in trouble I invoke you,

and you answer my prayer;

8 there is no god to compare with you,

no achievement to compare with yours.

9 All pagans will come ans adore you, Lord,

all will glorify your name,

10 since you alone are great, you perform marvels,

you God, you alone.

11 Yahweh, teach me your way,

how to walk beside you faithfully,

make me single hearted in fearing your name.

12 I thank you with all my heart, Lord my God,

I glorify your name for ever,

13 your love for me has been so great,

you have rescued me from the depths of Sheol.

14 Now arrogant men, God, are attacking me,

a brutal gang hounding me to death:

people to whom you mean nothing.

15 Lor God, you who are always merciful and tenderhearted,

slow to anger, always loving, always loyal,

16 turn to me and pity me.

Give me your strength, your saving help,

me your servant, this son of a pious mother,

17 give me one proof of your goodness.

Yahweh, make my opponents ashamed,

show them that you are my help and consolation.

Of the sons of Korah Psalm Song

1 Yahweh loves his city

founded on the holy mountain;

2 he prefers the gates of Zion

to any town in Jacob.

3 He has glorious predictions t make of you

city of God!

4 "I will add Egypt and Babylon

to the nations that acknowledge me.

Of Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,

Here so and so was born, men say.

5 But all call Zion 'Mother.'

Since all were born in her."

6 It is he who makes her what she is,

he, the Most High, Yahweh;

and as he registers the peoples,

"It was here," he writes, "that so and so was born."

7 And there will be princes dancing there.

All find their home in you.

Song Psalm Of the sons of Korah For the choirmaster In sickness or suffering Poem For Heman the native-born

1 Yahweh my God, I call for help all day,

I weep to you all night;

2 may my prayer reach you

hear my cries for help;

3 for my soul is all troubled,

my life is on the brink of Sheol;

4 I am numbered among those who go down to the Pit,

a man bereft of strength:

5 a man alone, down among the dead,

among the slaughtered in the graves,

among those you have forgotten,

those deprived of your protecting hand.

6 You have plunged me to the bottom of the Pit,

to its darkest, deepest place,

7 weighted down by your anger,

drowned beneath your waves.

8 You have turned my friends against me

and made me repulsive to them;

in prison and unable to escape,

9 my eyes are worn out with suffering.

Yahweh, I invoke you all day,

I stretch out my hands to you:

10 are your marvels meant for the dead,

can ghost rise up to praise you?

11 Who talks of your love in the grave,

of your faithfulness in the place of perdition?

12 Do they hear about your marvels in the dark,

about your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

13 But am here, calling for your help,

praying to you every morning:

14 why do you reject me?

Why do you hide your face from me?

15 Wretched, slowly dying since my youth,

I bore your terrors - now I am exhausted;

16 your anger overwhelmed me,

you destroyed me with your terrors

17 which, like a flood, were around me, all day long,

all together closing in on me.

18 You have turned my friends and neighbours against me,

now darkness is my own companion left.

Poem For Ethan the native-born

1 I will celebrate your love for ever, Yahweh,

age after age my words shall proclaim your faithfulness;

2 for I claim that love is built to last for ever