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Psalm 61

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
    for you are my safe refuge,
    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

For you have heard my vows, O God.
    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
Add many years to the life of the king!
    May his years span the generations!
May he reign under God’s protection forever.
    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
Then I will sing praises to your name forever
    as I fulfill my vows each day.

Psalm 62

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.

So many enemies against one man—
    all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
    or a tottering fence.
They plan to topple me from my high position.
    They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
    but curse me in their hearts. Interlude

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. Interlude

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
    and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
    together they are lighter than a breath of air.

10 Don’t make your living by extortion
    or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
    don’t make it the center of your life.

11 God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
12     unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
    according to what they have done.

Psalm 63

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live,
    lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
    I will praise you with songs of joy.

I lie awake thinking of you,
    meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
    I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
    your strong right hand holds me securely.

But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
    They will go down into the depths of the earth.
10 They will die by the sword
    and become the food of jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God.
    All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
    while liars will be silenced.

Psalm 64

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O God, listen to my complaint.
    Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,
    from this gang of wrongdoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords
    and aim their bitter words like arrows.
They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
    attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
They encourage each other to do evil
    and plan how to set their traps in secret.
    “Who will ever notice?” they ask.
As they plot their crimes, they say,
    “We have devised the perfect plan!”
    Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
    suddenly striking them down.
Their own tongues will ruin them,
    and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
Then everyone will be afraid;
    they will proclaim the mighty acts of God
    and realize all the amazing things he does.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
    and find shelter in him.
And those who do what is right
    will praise him.

Psalm 65

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

What mighty praise, O God,
    belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
    for you answer our prayers.
    All of us must come to you.
Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
    you forgive them all.
What joy for those you choose to bring near,
    those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
    inside your holy Temple.

You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
    O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
    even those who sail on distant seas.
You formed the mountains by your power
    and armed yourself with mighty strength.
You quieted the raging oceans
    with their pounding waves
    and silenced the shouting of the nations.
Those who live at the ends of the earth
    stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
    you inspire shouts of joy.

You take care of the earth and water it,
    making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
    it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
    for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
    melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
    and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
    even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
    and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
    and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
    They all shout and sing for joy!

Psalm 61[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God;(A)
    listen to my prayer.(B)

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;(C)
    lead me to the rock(D) that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,(E)
    a strong tower against the foe.(F)

I long to dwell(G) in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b](H)
For you, God, have heard my vows;(I)
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(J)

Increase the days of the king’s life,(K)
    his years for many generations.(L)
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(M)
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(N)

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name(O)
    and fulfill my vows day after day.(P)

Psalm 62[c]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Truly my soul finds rest(Q) in God;(R)
    my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock(S) and my salvation;(T)
    he is my fortress,(U) I will never be shaken.(V)

How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall,(W) this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse.[d](X)

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;(Y)
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God[e];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(Z)
Trust in him at all times, you people;(AA)
    pour out your hearts to him,(AB)
    for God is our refuge.

Surely the lowborn(AC) are but a breath,(AD)
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance,(AE) they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion(AF)
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;(AG)
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them.(AH)

11 One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,(AI)
12     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;(AJ)
and, “You reward everyone
    according to what they have done.”(AK)

Psalm 63[f]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(AL)
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.(AM)

I have seen you in the sanctuary(AN)
    and beheld your power and your glory.(AO)
Because your love is better than life,(AP)
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,(AQ)
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.(AR)
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(AS)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(AT)
Because you are my help,(AU)
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.(AV)
I cling to you;(AW)
    your right hand upholds me.(AX)

Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(AY)
    they will go down to the depths of the earth.(AZ)
10 They will be given over to the sword(BA)
    and become food for jackals.(BB)

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
    all who swear by God will glory in him,(BC)
    while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(BD)

Psalm 64[g]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;(BE)
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.(BF)

Hide me from the conspiracy(BG) of the wicked,(BH)
    from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords(BI)
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(BJ)
They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(BK)
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.(BL)

They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;(BM)
    they say, “Who will see it[h]?”(BN)
They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them(BO)
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads(BP) in scorn.(BQ)
All people will fear;(BR)
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.(BS)

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(BT)
    and take refuge in him;(BU)
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!(BV)

Psalm 65[i]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

Praise awaits[j] you, our God, in Zion;(BW)
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.(BX)
You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.(BY)
When we were overwhelmed by sins,(BZ)
    you forgave[k] our transgressions.(CA)
Blessed are those you choose(CB)
    and bring near(CC) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(CD)
    of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(CE)
    God our Savior,(CF)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(CG)
    and of the farthest seas,(CH)
who formed the mountains(CI) by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,(CJ)
who stilled the roaring of the seas,(CK)
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.(CL)
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.(CM)

You care for the land and water it;(CN)
    you enrich it abundantly.(CO)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(CP)
    for so you have ordained it.[l]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(CQ) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(CR)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(CS)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(CT)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(CU)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(CV)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(CW)
    they shout for joy and sing.(CX)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
  2. Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 62:1 In Hebrew texts 62:1-12 is numbered 62:2-13.
  4. Psalm 62:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  5. Psalm 62:7 Or / God Most High is my salvation and my honor
  6. Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
  7. Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
  8. Psalm 64:5 Or us
  9. Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
  10. Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  11. Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
  12. Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land