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Psalm 73-83
Expanded Bible
Psalm 73-83
Expanded Bible
Book 3: Psalms 73–89
Should the Wicked Be Rich?
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
73 ·God is truly [Surely God is] good to ·Israel [or those with integrity/virtue],
to those who have pure hearts.
2 But ·I had almost stopped believing [L as for me, my feet almost stumbled];
·I had almost lost my faith [my steps almost slipped]
3 because I was ·jealous [envious] of ·proud people [braggers; boasters].
I saw wicked people ·doing well [prospering].
4 They are not ·suffering [struggling; in pain];
·they [their bodies] are ·healthy [perfect] and strong.
5 They don’t have ·troubles [toils] like the rest of us;
they ·don’t have problems [are not plagued] like other people [Gen. 3:17–19].
6 They wear pride like a necklace
and ·put on violence as their clothing [L adorn themselves with garments of violence].
7 ·They are looking for profits [L Their eyes bulge with fat]
and ·do not control their selfish desires [cunning overflows from their hearts/minds].
8 They ·make fun of others [scoff] and speak ·evil [harm];
·proudly [from high] they speak of ·hurting [oppressing; exploiting] others.
9 They ·brag to the sky [L set their mouth against heaven].
·They say that they own [L Their tongue wanders] the earth.
10 So their people turn to them
and ·give them whatever they want [L they drink up water in abundance].
11 They say, “How can God know?
What does God Most High know?”
12 These people are wicked,
always ·at ease [carefree], and getting richer.
13 ·So why have I kept my heart pure [L In vain, I kept my heart pure…]?
·Why have I kept my hands from doing wrong [L …and washed my hands in innocence; Matt. 27:24]?
14 I ·have suffered [am plagued] all day long;
I have been ·punished [corrected] every morning.
15 God, if I had ·decided to talk like this [L said, “I will recount this,”],
I would have ·let your people down [L betrayed the generation/race of your children].
16 I ·tried [thought how] to understand all this,
but it was too ·hard [wearisome] ·for me to see [L in my eyes]
17 until I went to the ·Temple [sanctuary; Holy Place] of God.
Then I understood ·what will happen to them [L their fate/end].
18 You have put them in ·danger [L slippery places];
you cause them to ·be destroyed [L fall into disaster].
19 They are destroyed in a moment;
they are swept away by terrors.
20 It will be like waking from a dream.
Lord, when you ·rise up [awake; arouse yourself], ·they will disappear [L you despise their shadows].
21 When my heart was ·sad [bitter]
and ·I was angry [L my innards felt stabbed],
22 I was senseless and stupid.
I acted like an ·animal [brute beast] toward you.
23 But I am always with you [C in covenant relationship];
you have held my ·hand [L right hand; C guiding him].
24 You guide me with your advice,
and later you will receive me in ·honor [glory; C perhaps in the afterlife].
25 ·I have no one [L Whom do I have…?] in heaven but you;
I ·want [desire] nothing on earth besides you.
26 My body and my ·mind [heart] may become weak,
but God is ·my strength [L the rock of my heart].
He is ·mine [L my portion] forever.
27 Those who are far from ·God [L you] will ·die [perish];
you ·destroy [bring to an end] those who ·are unfaithful [prostitute themselves spiritually].
28 But I am close to God, and that is good.
The Lord God ·is [I have made] my ·protection [refuge].
I will ·tell [recount] all that you have done.
A Nation in Trouble Prays
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
74 God, why have you rejected us ·for so long [forever]?
Why ·are you angry with us, [L does your anger smoke against] the sheep of your pasture [100:3]?
2 Remember the ·people [assembly; congregation] you ·bought [acquired] long ago.
You ·saved [redeemed] us, and we are ·your very own [L the tribe of your inheritance].
After all, you live on Mount Zion.
3 ·Make your way [Direct your steps] through ·these old [or the utter] ruins;
the enemy ·wrecked [destroyed] everything in the ·Temple [sanctuary; Holy Place; C perhaps a reference to the Babylonian destruction of the Temple; 2 Kin. 25:8–21; 2 Chr. 36:17–21; Lam. 2:6].
4 Those who were against you ·shouted [roared] in your meeting place
and ·raised their flags [L set their signs as signs] there.
5 ·They came with axes raised [or They hacked at the upper entrances]
as if to cut down a forest of trees.
6 They ·smashed [beat to pieces] the ·carved [engraved] panels
with their axes and ·hatchets [crowbars].
7 They ·burned your Temple to the ground [L set your sanctuary/Holy Place on fire];
they have made the ·place where you live [L residence of your name] ·unclean [profane].
8 They ·thought [L said in their hearts], “We will completely crush them!”
They burned ·every place where God was worshiped [L all the meeting places of God] in the land.
9 We do not see any signs.
There are no more prophets [C who can tell them what will happen],
and no one knows how long this will last.
10 God, how much longer will the enemy ·make fun of [scorn] you?
Will they ·insult [revile] ·you [L your name] forever?
11 Why do you ·hold back your power [L return your hand]?
·Bring your power out in the open [L Take your right hand out of your bosom] and ·destroy [annihilate] them!
12 God, you have been our king ·for a long time [of old; Ex. 15:18].
You bring ·salvation [victory] to the earth.
13 You split open the sea by your power
and broke the heads of the sea monster [C an ancient Near Eastern symbol of chaos].
14 You ·smashed [crushed in pieces] the heads of the monster Leviathan [C a sea monster and symbol of chaos; 104:26; Job 3:8; 41:1; Is. 27:1]
and gave it to the ·desert [wilderness] creatures as food.
15 You ·opened up [split] the springs and ·streams [wadis]
and made the flowing rivers run dry.
16 Both the day and the night are yours;
you made the sun and the moon [Gen. 1:14–18].
17 You set all the ·limits [borders] on the earth;
you ·created [formed] summer and winter [104:19–23; Gen. 8:22].
18 Lord, remember how the enemy ·insulted [scorned] you.
Remember how those foolish people ·made fun of you [L reviled your name].
19 Do not give us, your doves, to those wild animals.
Never forget your poor people.
20 ·Remember [Regard] the ·agreement [covenant] you made with us,
because violence fills every dark corner of this land.
21 Do not let your ·suffering [crushed] people be ·disgraced [humiliated].
Let the poor and ·helpless [needy] praise ·you [L your name].
22 God, arise and ·defend [contend for] yourself.
Remember the ·insults [scorn] that come from those foolish people all day long.
23 Don’t forget what your enemies said;
don’t forget their roar as they rise against you always.
God the Judge
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A song.
75 God, we ·thank [praise] you;
we ·thank [praise] you because ·you [L your name] are near.
We tell about the ·miracles [wonders] you do.
2 You say, “I set ·the time for trial [L an appointed time],
and I will judge ·fairly [with integrity].
3 The earth with all its people may ·shake [totter],
but I ·am the one who holds it steady [L set/establish its pillars; C the idea was that the earth was supported by pillars]. ·
4 I say to those who ·are proud [brag; boast], ‘Don’t ·be proud [brag; boast],’
and to the wicked, ‘Don’t ·show your power [L exalt your horn; C a horn is a symbol of strength].
5 Don’t ·try to use your power [L exalt your horn] against ·heaven [L the heights; or on high].
Don’t ·be stubborn [L speak with an insolent neck].’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or the ·desert [wilderness] ·can judge you [comes exalting].
7 God is the judge;
he ·judges one person as guilty [L puts one down] and ·another as innocent [L raises another up].
8 The Lord holds a cup in his hand;
it is ·full of wine mixed with [foaming wine full of] spices [C the cup of God’s wrath; 60:3; Jer. 25:15–29; Nah. 3:11; Matt. 26:39].
He pours it out ·even to the last drop [until its dregs drain out],
and the wicked drink it all.
9 I will tell about this forever;
I will ·sing praise [make a psalm] to the God of Jacob.
10 ·He will take all power away from [L I will cut off all the horns of] the wicked [v. 4],
but the ·power [L horn] of ·good [righteous] people will ·grow [be exalted].
The God Who Always Wins
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A song.
76 ·People in Judah know God [L God is known in Judah];
his ·fame [name] is great in Israel.
2 His Tent is in ·Jerusalem [L Salem; C shortened name of Jerusalem];
his ·home [abode] is on Mount Zion [Ps. 48].
3 There God broke the flaming arrows,
the shields, the swords, and the weapons of war. ·
4 God, how ·wonderful [glorious; awesome; or radiant] you are!
You are more ·splendid [majestic] than the ·hills full of animals [hills full of prey; or everlasting mountains].
5 The ·brave soldiers [L strong of heart] were ·stripped [plundered]
as they ·lay asleep in death [sleep their last sleep].
Not one ·warrior [valiant person]
·had the strength to stop it [L could lift their hand].
6 God of Jacob, ·when you spoke strongly [L at your rebuke/reprimand],
horses and riders ·fell dead [L were in deep sleep; or lay stupefied].
7 You are ·feared [awesome];
·no one [L who…?] can stand against you when you are angry.
8 From heaven you ·gave the decision [made your judgment heard],
and the earth was afraid and silent.
9 God, you ·stood [rose] up to judge
and to ·save [give victory to] the needy people of the earth. ·
10 ·People praise you for your anger against evil [or Human anger praises you].
·Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil [Those who survive your wrath are restrained; L You gird the remains of wrath on you].
11 Make and keep your ·promises [vows] to the Lord your God.
From all around, gifts should come to the God ·we worship [L who is awesome].
12 God ·breaks [cuts off] the spirits of ·great leaders [princes];
the kings on earth fear him.
Remembering God’s Help
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C a Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
77 I cry out to God;
I call to God, and he ·will hear [or heard] me.
2 I ·look [sought] for the Lord on the day of ·trouble [L my distress].
All night long I ·reach out my untiring hands [L flow forth my hand and it does not grow weak],
but I ·cannot [refuse to] be comforted.
3 When I remember God, I ·become upset [moan];
when I ·think [reflect; meditate], ·I become afraid [my soul faints]. ·
4 You ·keep my eyes from closing [L grab the eyelids of my eyes].
I am too ·upset [disturbed] to say anything.
5 I keep thinking about the old days,
the years of long ago [C when things were going well].
6 At night I remember my songs.
I ·think [meditate] and ·I ask myself [L my spirit inquires]:
7 “Will the Lord reject us forever?
Will he never be ·kind [favorable] to us again?
8 Is his ·love [loyalty] gone forever?
Has he stopped speaking for all time [C he questions God’s commitment to the covenant]?
9 Has God forgotten ·mercy [compassion]?
Is he too angry to ·pity [have mercy on] us?” ·
10 Then I say, “This is what makes me sad:
·For years the power of God Most High was with us [L The right hand of the God Most High has changed].”
11 I remember what the Lord did;
I remember the ·miracles [wonderful acts] you did long ago.
12 I ·think [mused] about all the things you did
and ·consider [meditated on] your deeds.
13 God, your ways are holy.
·No god [L What god…?] is as great as our God.
14 You are the God who does ·miracles [wonders];
you have ·shown [made known to] people your power.
15 By your ·power [L arm] you have ·saved [redeemed] your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. ·
16 God, the waters saw you;
they saw you and ·became afraid [L writhed];
the deep waters shook with fear.
17 The clouds poured down their rain.
The ·sky [clouds] ·thundered [L gave forth a sound].
Your lightning flashed back and forth like arrows.
18 Your thunder sounded in the whirlwind.
Lightning lit up the world.
The earth trembled and ·shook [quaked].
19 You made a way through the sea
and paths through the ·deep [L many] waters,
but your footprints were not ·seen [revealed].
20 You led your people like a flock
by ·using [L the hand of] Moses and Aaron [Ex. 14–15].
God Saved Israel from Egypt
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
78 My people, ·listen [give ear] to my ·teaching [instruction; law];
·listen [L incline your ear] to ·what I say [L the words of my mouth].
2 I will ·speak [L open my mouth] ·using stories [L with a proverb/parable];
I will ·tell [expound] ·secret things [L riddles] from long ago [C the past contains lessons for the present generation].
3 We have heard them and known them
by what our ·ancestors [fathers] have ·told [recounted to] us.
4 We will not ·keep [hide] them from our children;
we will ·tell [recount them to] ·those who come later [a later generation]
about the praises of the Lord.
We will tell about his power
and the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he has done.
5 The Lord ·made an agreement [established a decree/testimony] with Jacob
and gave the ·teachings [instructions; laws] to Israel [Ex. 19–24],
which he commanded our ·ancestors [fathers]
to ·teach [make known] to their children [Deut. 6:6–9, 20–22].
6 Then ·their children [L the later generation] would know them,
even their children not yet born.
And they would ·tell [L rise up and recount them to] their children.
7 So they would ·all trust [L place their trust/confidence in] God
and would not forget what he had done
but would ·obey [protect] his commands.
8 They would not be like their ·ancestors [fathers]
who were ·stubborn and disobedient [L a stubborn and rebellious generation].
Their hearts were not ·loyal [steadfast; L set] to God,
and they were not ·true [faithful] to him [Deut. 9:6–7, 13, 24; 31:27; 32:5; Acts 2:40].
9 The men of Ephraim ·had bows for weapons [L were armed for shooting the bow],
but they ·ran away [turned back] on the day of battle [C perhaps 1 Sam. 4:1–4 or 1 Sam. 28–31].
10 They didn’t ·keep [observe; guard] their ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with God
and refused to ·live [L walk] by his ·teachings [instructions; laws].
11 They forgot what he had done
and the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he had shown them.
12 He did ·miracles [wonderful acts] while their ·ancestors [fathers] watched,
in the fields of Zoan [C a city in the Nile Delta also known as Tanis] in Egypt [C the plagues; Ex. 7–12].
13 He divided the ·Red Sea [L Sea; C probably a lake north of the Gulf of Suez] and led them through [Ex. 14–15].
He made the water stand up like a ·wall [or heap; Ex. 15:8].
14 He led them with a cloud by day
and by the light of a fire by night [105:39; Ex. 13:21; Num. 10:34].
15 He split the rocks in the ·desert [wilderness]
and gave them more ·than enough water, as if from the deep ocean [L water, as much as the deeps].
16 He brought streams out of the rock
and caused water to flow down like rivers [Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:8; 1 Cor. 10:4].
17 But the people continued to sin against him;
in the ·desert [wasteland; wilderness] they ·turned [rebelled] against God Most High.
18 They ·decided to test God [L tested God in their hearts]
by asking for the food ·they wanted [L for their appetite].
19 Then they spoke against God,
saying, “Can God prepare ·food [L a table] in the ·desert [wilderness]?
20 When he ·hit [L struck] the rock, water ·poured out [gushed]
and rivers flowed down.
But can he give us bread also?
Will he provide his people with meat [Ex. 16]?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was very angry.
·His anger was like fire to the people of [L A fire was ignited against] Jacob;
his anger ·grew against the people of [L rose up against] Israel [Num. 11].
22 They had not ·believed [trusted; been faithful to] God
and had not ·trusted [put confidence in] him to ·save them [give them victory].
23 But he gave a command to the clouds above
and opened the doors of heaven.
24 He rained manna down on them to eat;
he gave them grain from heaven.
25 So they ate the bread of ·angels [L strong ones].
He sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He sent the east wind from heaven
and ·led [guided] the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat on them like dust.
The birds were as many as the sand of the sea.
28 He made the birds fall inside the camp,
all around the ·tents [L residences].
29 So the people ate and became very ·full [satisfied; satiated].
God had given them what they ·wanted [desired].
30 While ·they were still eating [L their desire had not turned aside],
and while the food was still in their mouths,
31 ·God became angry with them [L the anger of God came up on them].
He killed some of the ·healthiest [most robust; sturdiest] of them;
he ·struck down [laid low] the best young men of Israel.
32 But they kept on sinning;
they did not believe even with the ·miracles [wonderful acts].
33 So he ended their days without ·meaning [purpose; Eccl. 1:2]
and their years in terror.
34 Anytime he killed them, they would ·look to him for help [seek him];
they would ·come back to God [repent] and ·follow [be intent on] him.
35 They would remember that God was their Rock [C the one who protected them],
that God Most High had ·saved [redeemed] them.
36 But ·their words were false [L they deceived/or flattered him with their mouths],
and with their tongues they lied to him.
37 Their hearts were not really ·loyal to [steadfast toward] God;
they ·did not keep [were not faithful to] his ·agreement [covenant].
38 Still God was ·merciful [compassionate].
He ·forgave their sins [made atonement for their guilt]
and did not destroy them.
Many times he held back his anger
and did not stir up all his ·anger [wrath].
39 He remembered that they were ·only human [flesh; 38:3; 56:4; 103:14–15; Gen. 6:3; Is. 2:22],
like a wind that blows and does not come back.
40 They ·turned [rebelled] against God so often in the ·desert [wilderness]
and grieved him ·there [L in the wasteland].
41 Again and again they tested God
and ·brought pain to [provoked] the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his ·power [L hand]
or the ·time [L day] he ·saved [ransomed] them from the ·enemy [foe].
43 They forgot the signs he did in Egypt
and his wonders in the fields of Zoan [v. 12].
44 He turned their rivers to blood
so no one could drink ·the water [L from their streams; 105:29; Ex. 7:17–20; Rev. 16:4].
45 He sent flies that ·bit [L consumed] the people [Ex. 8:20–32].
He sent frogs that destroyed them [Ex. 7:25—8:15].
46 He gave their crops to grasshoppers
and ·what they worked for [L their labor] to locusts [Ex. 10:1–20].
47 He ·destroyed [L killed] their vines with hail
and their ·sycamore [or fig] trees with ·sleet [or frost; or floods; Ex. 9:13–35].
48 He ·killed their animals with [L handed over their beasts to the] hail
and their cattle with lightning [Ex. 9:1–7].
49 He ·showed [L sent against] them his hot anger.
He sent his strong anger against them,
his ·destroying angels [or messengers of evil/harm].
50 He ·found a way to show [L made a path for] his anger.
He did not ·keep them from dying [L hold back their lives from death]
but ·let them die by a terrible disease [L handed their lives over to plague].
51 God ·killed [L struck] all the firstborn sons in Egypt [Ex. 12],
the ·oldest son of each family [L first of their virility in the tents] of Ham [C the ancestor of the Egyptians; Gen. 10:6].
52 But God led his people out like sheep
and he guided them like a flock through the ·desert [wilderness].
53 He led them to safety so they had nothing to fear,
but ·their enemies drowned in the sea [L the sea covered their enemies].
54 So God brought them to his holy ·land [L boundary],
to the mountain country ·he took with his own power [L his hand acquired].
55 He ·forced out [dispossessed before them] the other nations,
and he ·had his people inherit the land [L alloted the land as an inheritance].
He let the tribes of Israel settle there in tents.
56 But they tested God
and ·turned [rebelled] against God Most High;
they did not ·keep [observe; guard] his ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
57 They ·turned away [recoiled] and were disloyal just like their ·ancestors [fathers].
They ·were like [turned into] a ·crooked bow that does not shoot straight [slack bow; C unreliable and ineffective].
58 They made God angry ·by building places to worship gods [L with their high places; C worship sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God; Deut. 12:2–3];
they made him jealous with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he became very angry
and rejected the people of Israel completely.
60 He ·left [cast off] his dwelling at Shiloh,
the Tent where he lived among the people.
61 He let his ·Power [Strength; C the Ark] be captured;
he let his ·glory [beauty; C the Ark] be taken by ·enemies [L the hand of the foe; 1 Sam. 4–5].
62 He ·let his people be killed [L handed his people over to the sword];
he was very angry with his ·children [L inheritance].
63 The young men ·died [L were consumed] by fire,
and the young women ·had no one to marry [had no wedding songs; or could not sing a lament for them].
64 Their priests fell by the sword [1 Sam. 4:12–22],
but their widows were not allowed to cry.
65 Then the Lord ·got up [awoke] as if he had been asleep;
·he awoke like a man [L like a soldier] who had been ·drunk with [shouting/singing because of] wine.
66 He struck ·down [L back] his enemies
and ·disgraced them forever [L placed on them eternal scorn/reproach].
67 But God rejected the ·family [L tent] of Joseph [C the tribe of Ephraim];
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim [C the most important northern tribe, here representing the house of Saul].
68 Instead, he chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion [C the location of the Temple], which he loves.
69 And he built his ·Temple [sanctuary; Holy Place] ·high like the mountains [or like the high heavens].
Like the earth, ·he built it to last [L its foundations are] forever.
70 He chose David to be his servant
and took him from the sheep pens.
71 He brought him from tending the ·sheep [L ewes]
so he could ·lead the flock, [shepherd] the people of Jacob,
his ·own people [inheritance], the people of Israel.
72 And David ·led [shepherded] them with an ·innocent [blameless] heart
and guided them with skillful hands.
The Nation Cries for Jerusalem
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
79 God, nations have come against your ·chosen people [L inheritance].
They have ·ruined [profaned] your holy Temple.
They have turned Jerusalem into ·ruins [a dump; 2 Kin. 25:9–10].
2 They have given the bodies of your servants as food to the ·wild birds [L birds of the sky/heavens].
They have given the ·bodies [L flesh] of ·those who worship you [your faithful ones; saints] to the wild animals [Jer. 34:20].
3 They have spilled blood like water all around Jerusalem.
No one was left to bury the dead.
4 We are a ·joke [reproach; scorn] to the ·other nations [L residents];
·they [L the people around us] ·laugh [ridicule] and make fun of us.
5 Lord, how long?
Will you be angry forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like a fire?
6 ·Be angry with [L Pour out your wrath on] the nations that do not know you
and ·with [or on] the kingdoms that do not ·honor you [L call on your name].
7 They have ·gobbled up [devoured] the people of Jacob
and ·destroyed [desolated] their ·land [pasturage].
8 Don’t ·punish us for our past sins [L remember our former guilt].
Show your ·mercy [compassion] to us soon,
because we are ·helpless [very low]!
9 God our ·Savior [Victor], help us
·so people will praise you [L for the glory of your name].
·Save [Protect] us and ·forgive [atone for] our sins
·so people will honor you [L for your name].
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
·Tell [Inform] the other nations ·in our presence [L before our eyes]
that you ·punish [avenge] ·those who kill your servants [L the blood of your servants that has been poured out].
11 ·Hear the moans of the prisoners [Let the groans of the prisoner come before you].
Use your great ·power [L arm]
to save those ·sentenced [doomed] to die.
12 Repay ·those around [L into the bosom of those around] us seven times over
for their ·insults to [reproach/scorn of] you, Lord.
13 We are your people, the sheep of your ·flock [pasture].
We will ·thank [praise] you always;
·forever and ever [from generation to generation] we ·will praise you [L recount your praise].
A Prayer to Bring Israel Back
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
80 Shepherd of Israel, ·listen to us [give ear].
You ·lead [guide] the people of Joseph [C the northern empire of Israel] like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22; 1 Kin. 8:7].
·Show your greatness [L Shine forth] 2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
·Use [Arouse] your strength,
and come to ·save us [give us victory].
3 God, ·take us back [restore us].
·Show us your kindness [L Make your face shine on us; 31:16; 67:1; Num. 6:24–26] so we can ·be saved [have victory].
4 Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
how long will you ·be angry [L smoke/fume at us]
at the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed your people ·with tears [L the bread/food of tears];
you have made them drink ·many tears [tears by measure/L the third].
6 You made ·those around us fight over us [L us the strife of our neighbors],
and our enemies ·make fun of [ridicule] us.
7 God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ·take us back [restore us].
·Show us your kindness [L Make your face shine on us; 31:16; 67:1; Num. 6:24–26] so we can ·be saved [have victory].
8 You brought ·us out of Egypt as if we were a vine [L a vine out of Egypt; Gen. 49:22; Is. 5:1–7; 27:2–6; Jer. 2:21; 12:10; Ezek. 15:1–8; 19:10–14; Hos. 10:1].
You ·forced out [dispossessed] other nations and planted us in the land.
9 You cleared the ground for us.
We took root and filled the land.
10 We covered the mountains with our shade.
We had branches like the mighty cedar tree.
11 Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,
and our shoots went to the Euphrates River.
12 So why did you ·pull [break] down our walls?
Now everyone who passes by ·steals from us [picks our fruit].
13 Like ·wild pigs [L boars of the forest] they ·walk over us [ravage us; gobble us up];
like ·wild animals [L creatures of the field] they feed on us.
14 God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ·come back [restore us].
Look down from heaven and see.
Take care of us, your vine.
15 You planted this ·shoot [root] with your own hands
and strengthened this child [C the king].
16 Now it is cut down and burned with fire;
you destroyed us by ·your angry looks [L the rebuke of your face].
17 ·With your hand,
strengthen the one you have chosen for yourself [L Let your hand be on the man of your right hand; C the king].
18 Then we will not ·turn away from [deviate from; be disloyal to] you.
Give us life again, and we will call ·to you for help [L on your name].
19 Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ·take us back [restore us].
·Show us your kindness [L Make your face shine on us; 31:16; 67:1; Num. 6:24–26] so we can ·be saved [have victory].
A Song for a Holiday
For the director of music. By the gittith [C perhaps a musical term or instrument]. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
81 Sing for joy to God, our strength;
shout out loud to the God of Jacob [C another name for Israel].
2 ·Begin the music [Lift up a psalm]. ·Play [Sound; L Give] the tambourines [68:25; 149:3; 150:4; Ex. 15:20].
·Play pleasant music on the harps [L …the pleasant/sweet harps] and lyres.
3 Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] at ·the time of the New Moon [L the month; C a monthly religious festival],
when the moon is full, when our feast begins.
4 This is the ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] for Israel;
it is the ·command [judgment] of the God of Jacob [v. 1].
5 He ·gave [set] this ·rule [decree; testimony] to the people of Joseph [C reference to the northern tribes]
when they went out of the land of Egypt [C the exodus; Ex. 12–15].
I heard a ·language [L tongue] I did not know, saying [C God now speaks]:
6 “I ·took the load off [removed the burden from] their shoulders;
·I let them put down their baskets [L Their hands were removed from the baskets].
7 When you were in ·trouble [distress], you called, and I ·saved [rescued] you.
I answered you ·with thunder [L in the secret place of thunder; Ex. 19:18–19].
I tested you at the waters of Meribah [95:8; 106:32; Ex. 17:1–17; Num. 20:1–13]. ·
8 My people, listen. I ·am warning [bear testimony/witness against] you.
Israel, please listen to me!
9 You must not have ·foreign [strange] gods;
you must not worship any ·false [foreign] god.
10 I, the Lord, am your God,
who brought you out of Egypt.
·Open [L Widen] your mouth and I will feed you [Deut. 29:6; 32:10–14].
11 “But my people did not listen to ·me [L my voice];
Israel did not ·want [accept] me.
12 So I ·let them go their stubborn way [L threw them away because of their stubborn hearts]
and ·follow [walk according to] their own advice.
13 I wish my people would listen to me;
I wish Israel would ·live [L walk on] my way.
14 Then I would quickly ·defeat [subdue; quell] their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would ·bow [cringe; cower] before him.
Their ·punishment [doom] would continue forever.
16 But I would give you the finest wheat [Deut. 32:14]
and fill you with honey from the rocks [Deut. 32:13].”
A Cry for Justice
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
82 God ·is in charge of the great meeting [L takes his place/presides in the great assembly/or the assembly of the gods/divine council; C the angels (powers and authorities; Eph. 6:12) are here called “gods”];
he judges among the “gods” [John 10:35–36].
2 He says, “How long will you ·defend evil people [or judge unfairly]?
How long will you show ·greater kindness [favor; preference] to the wicked? ·
3 ·Defend [Judge] the ·weak [or poor] and the orphans;
·defend the rights of [vindicate] the poor and ·suffering [needy].
4 ·Save [Rescue] the ·weak [or poor] and helpless;
·free [protect] them from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked.
5 “You know nothing. You don’t understand.
You walk in the dark,
while the ·world is falling apart [L foundations of the earth are tottering].
6 I said, ‘You are “gods.”
You are all sons of God Most High.’
7 But you will die like any other person;
you will fall like all the ·leaders [princes; C God will punish these evil angels].”
8 God, ·come [rise up] and judge the earth,
because you ·own [inherit] all the nations.
A Prayer Against the Enemies
A song. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
83 God, do not keep quiet;
God, do not be silent or still.
2 Your enemies are ·making noises [in tumult];
those who hate you ·are getting ready to attack [L raise up their head; 2:1].
3 They are making secret ·plans [plots] against your people;
they plot against those you ·love [cherish; treasure].
4 They say, “Come, let’s ·destroy them [wipe them out] as a nation.
Then no one will ever remember the name ‘Israel.’”
5 They ·are united in their plan [L plot with one mind/heart].
These have ·made an agreement [L cut a covenant/treaty] against you:
6 the ·families [L tents] of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7 the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,
Philistia, and inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to ·help Ammon and Moab, the [L be the arm of the] descendants of Lot [C a list of traditional enemies of Israel]. ·
9 God, do to them what you did to Midian,
what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon ·River [Wadi; Judg. 4–5].
10 They ·died [were destroyed] at Endor,
·and their bodies rotted [L like dung/manure] on the ground.
11 Do to their ·important leaders [princes; nobles] what you did to Oreb and Zeeb [Judg. 7:25].
Do to their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna [Judg. 8:21].
12 They said, “Let’s take for ourselves
the pasturelands that belong to God.”
13 My God, make them like tumbleweed,
like chaff blown ·away by [before] the wind [C rootless and landless; 1:4].
14 Be like a fire that burns a forest
or like flames that blaze through the ·hills [mountains].
15 ·Chase [Pursue] them with your ·storm [tempest],
and ·frighten [terrify] them with your ·wind [hurricane].
16 ·Cover [L Fill] them with shame.
Then people will ·look for you [L seek your name], Lord.
17 Make them afraid and ashamed forever.
·Disgrace [Humiliate] them and destroy them.
18 Then they will know that ·you are the Lord [L the Lord is your name],
that only you are God Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 73-83
New International Version
Psalm 73-83
New International Version
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(A)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(S) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(U)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(AD) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
and my portion(AM) forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;(AN)
you destroy all who are unfaithful(AO) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(AP)
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(AQ)
I will tell of all your deeds.(AR)
Psalm 74
A maskil[d] of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected(AS) us forever?(AT)
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(AU)
2 Remember the nation you purchased(AV) long ago,(AW)
the people of your inheritance,(AX) whom you redeemed(AY)—
Mount Zion,(AZ) where you dwelt.(BA)
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(BB)
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared(BC) in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards(BD) as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.(BE)
6 They smashed all the carved(BF) paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled(BG) the dwelling place(BH) of your Name.(BI)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush(BJ) them completely!”
They burned(BK) every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;(BL)
no prophets(BM) are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(BN) will the enemy mock(BO) you, God?
Will the foe revile(BP) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(BQ)
Take it from the folds of your garment(BR) and destroy them!
13 It was you who split open the sea(BU) by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster(BV) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(BW)
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(BX)
15 It was you who opened up springs(BY) and streams;
you dried up(BZ) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.(CA)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(CB) of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.(CC)
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people(CD) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(CE) to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted(CF) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(CG)
because haunts of violence fill the dark places(CH) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(CI) retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy(CJ) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(CK) O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools(CL) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(CM) of your adversaries,(CN)
the uproar(CO) of your enemies,(CP) which rises continually.
Psalm 75[e]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;(CQ)
people tell of your wonderful deeds.(CR)
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;(CS)
it is I who judge with equity.(CT)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,(CU)
it is I who hold its pillars(CV) firm.[f]
4 To the arrogant(CW) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(CX)
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[g](CY)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.(CZ)’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:(DA)
He brings one down, he exalts another.(DB)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed(DC) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.(DD)
9 As for me, I will declare(DE) this forever;
I will sing(DF) praise to the God of Jacob,(DG)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(DH)
Psalm 76[h]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.(DI)
2 His tent is in Salem,(DJ)
his dwelling place in Zion.(DK)
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,(DL)
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[i](DM)
4 You are radiant with light,(DN)
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant(DO) lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;(DP)
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke,(DQ) God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot(DR) lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.(DS)
Who can stand(DT) before you when you are angry?(DU)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared(DV) and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,(DW)
to save all the afflicted(DX) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(DY)
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[j]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;(DZ)
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts(EA) to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77[k]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God(EB) for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress,(EC) I sought the Lord;
at night(ED) I stretched out untiring hands,(EE)
and I would not be comforted.(EF)
3 I remembered(EG) you, God, and I groaned;(EH)
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[l](EI)
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.(EJ)
5 I thought about the former days,(EK)
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?(EL)
Will he never show his favor(EM) again?
8 Has his unfailing love(EN) vanished forever?
Has his promise(EO) failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?(EP)
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(EQ)”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(ER)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles(ES) of long ago.
12 I will consider(ET) all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(EU)
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?(EV)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;(EW)
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(EX)
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters(EY) saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;(EZ)
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,(FA)
the heavens resounded with thunder;(FB)
your arrows(FC) flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,(FD)
your lightning(FE) lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.(FF)
19 Your path(FG) led through the sea,(FH)
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
Psalm 78
A maskil[m] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;(FL)
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(FM)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.(FN)
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;(FO)
we will tell the next generation(FP)
the praiseworthy deeds(FQ) of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders(FR) he has done.
5 He decreed statutes(FS) for Jacob(FT)
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,(FU)
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget(FV) his deeds
but would keep his commands.(FW)
8 They would not be like their ancestors(FX)—
a stubborn(FY) and rebellious(FZ) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(GA)
turned back on the day of battle;(GB)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(GC)
and refused to live by his law.(GD)
11 They forgot what he had done,(GE)
the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(GF) in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,(GG) in the region of Zoan.(GH)
13 He divided the sea(GI) and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.(GJ)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.(GK)
15 He split the rocks(GL) in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
17 But they continued to sin(GM) against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(GN)
by demanding the food they craved.(GO)
19 They spoke against God;(GP)
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,(GQ)
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat(GR) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out(GS) against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust(GT) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;(GU)
24 he rained down manna(GV) for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(GW) from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds(GX) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(GY)
he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
even while the food was still in their mouths,(GZ)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest(HA) among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(HB)
in spite of his wonders,(HC) they did not believe.(HD)
33 So he ended their days in futility(HE)
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(HF) him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(HG)
that God Most High was their Redeemer.(HH)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(HI)
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(HJ) to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(HK)
he forgave(HL) their iniquities(HM)
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(HN)
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(HO)
a passing breeze(HP) that does not return.
40 How often they rebelled(HQ) against him in the wilderness(HR)
and grieved him(HS) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(HT)
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(HU)
42 They did not remember(HV) his power—
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(HW)
43 the day he displayed his signs(HX) in Egypt,
his wonders(HY) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(HZ)
they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(IA) that devoured them,
and frogs(IB) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(IC)
their produce to the locust.(ID)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(IE)
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their livestock(IF) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(IG)
his wrath, indignation and hostility—
a band of destroying angels.(IH)
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death
but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,(II)
the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(IJ)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(IK)
he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but the sea engulfed(IL) their enemies.(IM)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to the hill country his right hand(IN) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(IO) before them
and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(IP)
he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56 But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors(IQ) they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.(IR)
58 They angered him(IS) with their high places;(IT)
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(IU)
59 When God heard(IV) them, he was furious;(IW)
he rejected Israel(IX) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(IY)
the tent he had set up among humans.(IZ)
61 He sent the ark of his might(JA) into captivity,(JB)
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(JC)
he was furious with his inheritance.(JD)
63 Fire consumed(JE) their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs;(JF)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(JG)
and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(JH)
as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.(JI)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(JJ)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(JK)
Mount Zion,(JL) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(JM) like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(JN) his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(JO) he brought him
to be the shepherd(JP) of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(JQ)
with skillful hands he led them.
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(JR)
they have defiled(JS) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(JT)
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,(JU)
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(JV)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(JW) the dead.(JX)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(JY) and derision to those around us.(JZ)
5 How long,(KA) Lord? Will you be angry(KB) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(KC)
6 Pour out your wrath(KD) on the nations
that do not acknowledge(KE) you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;(KF)
7 for they have devoured(KG) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(KH)
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.(KI)
9 Help us,(KJ) God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.(KK)
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(KL)
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge(KM) the outpoured blood(KN) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(KO) of our neighbors seven times(KP)
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(KQ)
will praise you forever;(KR)
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
Psalm 80[n]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(KS)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(KT)
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(KU)
Awaken(KV) your might;
come and save us.(KW)
4 How long,(LA) Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(LB)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(LC)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(LD)
6 You have made us an object of derision[o] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(LE)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(LF)
8 You transplanted a vine(LG) from Egypt;
you drove out(LH) the nations and planted(LI) it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[p]
its shoots as far as the River.[q](LJ)
12 Why have you broken down its walls(LK)
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(LL) it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!(LM)
Watch over this vine,
15 the root your right hand has planted,
the son[r] you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(LN)
at your rebuke(LO) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man(LP) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive(LQ) us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Psalm 81[s]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[t] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(LR)
2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(LS)
play the melodious harp(LT) and lyre.(LU)
3 Sound the ram’s horn(LV) at the New Moon,(LW)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(LX)
5 When God went out against Egypt,(LY)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(LZ)
6 “I removed the burden(MA) from their shoulders;(MB)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(MC) and I rescued you,
I answered(MD) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[u](ME)
8 Hear me, my people,(MF) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(MG) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(MH)
Open(MI) wide your mouth and I will fill(MJ) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(MK)
12 So I gave them over(ML) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(MM)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(MN) their enemies
and turn my hand against(MO) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(MP) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(MQ)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
2 “How long will you[v] defend the unjust
and show partiality(MT) to the wicked?[w](MU)
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;(MV)
uphold the cause of the poor(MW) and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(MX)
They walk about in darkness;(MY)
all the foundations(MZ) of the earth are shaken.
6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;(NA)
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But you will die(NB) like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
Psalm 83[x]
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;(NF)
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,(NG)
how your foes rear their heads.(NH)
3 With cunning they conspire(NI) against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.(NJ)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy(NK) them as a nation,(NL)
so that Israel’s name is remembered(NM) no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(NN)
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom(NO) and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab(NP) and the Hagrites,(NQ)
7 Byblos,(NR) Ammon(NS) and Amalek,(NT)
Philistia,(NU) with the people of Tyre.(NV)
8 Even Assyria(NW) has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[y](NX)
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,(NY)
as you did to Sisera(NZ) and Jabin(OA) at the river Kishon,(OB)
10 who perished at Endor(OC)
and became like dung(OD) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(OE)
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(OF)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(OG)
of the pasturelands of God.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
- Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.
- Psalm 76:1 In Hebrew texts 76:1-12 is numbered 76:2-13.
- Psalm 76:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 9.
- Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of mankind brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself
- Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
- Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.
- Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
- Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 80:15 Or branch
- Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
- Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
- Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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